You Are My Life Now
by LondonaLozzy
Summary: COMPLETE - WINNER OF THE TWILIGHTERS UNITED LAMB AWARD. Bella is still terrorised with thoughts Victoria is hunting her. Only when Edward comes back does she feel truly safe again. Well that is until she finds a note that turns her life upside down.
1. Sneak Out

**AUTHORS NOTES - I really hope you enjoy reading this fanfic. The first 2 chapters look at Edwards and Bellas relationship but after chapter 3 it gets much faster paced and action filled. Please keep reading and make sure you review as well. It will make me want to update even faster than I already plan to. Enjoy :)**

Chapter 1 - Sneak Out.

BPOV

It was a month ago that Jacob left to live with his sister as far away from Forks as he could get, and I still mourned my lost friend. My Jacob. I felt stupendous guilt when I first learned about his departure as I knew that the true reason was because I had welcomed Edward back into my life with open arms, even though Jake had warned me that I would get hurt again. It was something I had to risk. Once I had Edward back and he had vowed that he loved me I knew that I would never have the strength to be parted from him again, even if it meant losing my best friend as a result.

I left the house as soon as I heard Charlie pull away from the drive in his police cruiser that morning. I hadn't seen my angel in almost two days as he was away hunting with his brothers Jasper and Emmett. He refused to leave unless I told him that I would be alright if he went. I assured him hesitantly that I would be, secretly still petrified that Victoria was getting closer to what she wanted, me. The Cullen's and the werewolves minus Jake, were all still on the hunt for the vampire that longed to suck the life out of me even if it was the last thing she did. The wolves had assured both Edward and I that she wasn't near Forks but with Alice completely losing her ability to have visions, for reasons known to man nor beast it was getting harder to keep track of her intentions and whereabouts.

Any thought of Victoria left me completely as I entered the familiar parking lot at Forks High School. There was only 1 car that I wished to see and that was Edward's silver Volvo. Just the sight of it would prove that he was nearby, soon to be back in my arms. I clumsily stepped out of my truck pulling the hood on my coat over my head as I went, shielding my hair and face from the torrential downpour that was common in this small town in Washington.

I locked the truck door and turned to face the 100's of students now fumbling to get into the school as fast as possible to escape the rain. I did not share their feelings. I wouldn't be happy to even move a step until I saw him or his car nearby. I looked and looked, about to give up hope, when I heard a screech of tires coming around the corner, the beautiful silver car stopping directly in front of me. Alice and Jasper got out as Edward parked it in a space on the other side of the lot. The driver's side door opened and there he was my miracle, my angel.

As he looked over at me smiling and began to walk towards me I couldn't help but stare at his perfect pale features, his soft lips, his straight nose, the sharp angle of his cheekbones, the smooth marble of his forehead - slightly covered by a mass of rain soaked bronze hair. I looked into his eyes, losing my train of thought almost instantly. They were liquid gold and by the time I had gained some control they were staring straight into my own eyes and through to my soul.

He silently reached for my hand, and sighed loudly as I blissfully entwined my fingers with his. The second he took me into a familiar, delicate embrace that we shared many times every day I knew instantly that I was safe and nobody could hurt me as long as I was in his arms.

"Hi, I missed you so much," I smiled lovingly as we walked slowly and happily towards the schools entrance.

He stroked my hair and lightly brushed his lips across mine. "Not as much as I missed you gorgeous, angelic Bella."

"I love you, Edward."

"As I love you, my Bella."

We were now entering our first lesson of the day, Biology. Edward only let go of me long enough to remove our coats and take our seats. As soon as we were in place our hands were back together, molding perfectly almost as if they were destined to hold one another.

The rest of the school day went by in a loved up haze that only subsided when I realized that I would have to leave Edward soon so I could meet Charlie at the local diner for dinner, a tradition upheld every Monday since my return to Forks.

Charlie still blamed Edward's leaving last year as the reason for my mental episode, which had me jumping off of cliffs and riding motorcycles just so I could get to hear the sound of his voice.

Edward held himself responsible also, now protesting that leaving me was the biggest mistake of his entire existence. I forgave Edward as soon as he explained that the only reason he went was to keep me safe, but Charlie was not aware of Edwards's vampirism and so could never understand both his actions and mine during that dark time.

Charlie had banned me from seeing Edward at all apart from school, a demand which materialized when he became aware that Edward and I were back together and happier than ever.

I knew deep down that he was only doing it to protect me from being hurt like I was last time I was on my own, so I did not have it in me to hate him for it. If anything it made me love him more. My dad didn't have to know that almost every night after he went to bed Edward would sneak in my window and we would spend the entire night wrapped in each other's arms. After all, ignorance is bliss.

We got back from the diner at 9 that evening and Charlie decided to get an early night as he faced a desk full of paperwork the next morning and wanted to prepare himself. I waited for him to get settled before making my way up to my own room and knew it was just a matter of time before he would snoring and Edward would be effortlessly entering my window.

Only 10 minutes had passed and I decided that before Edward arrived I would have a quick shower and change into something fresh, as this night was different to most others, I was doing the sneaking. By 10pm I had managed to shower, dress, brush my teeth and drag a brush through the wild mane which was my hair.

I exited the bathroom and made my way across the hall and back to my room aware that he would be waiting for me.

I didn't have time to register his presence before he swept me off my feet and bounded through the now open window. A high pitched giggle escaped my mouth as he carefully secured me on his back and began bounding through the forest.

"Oh Bella, I love that laugh. It is one of the best sounds in my universe."

"I bet you don't love it as much as this," I said huskily as I lowered my lips to his neck showering it with gentle kisses.

"My love, if you distract me with those heavenly lips again I am likely to run into a tree and that would be a first."

"Well we don't want you to ruin your perfect record do we?" I kissed his neck one more time, then his cheek and rested my head on his rock hard shoulder.

Only 2 minutes had passed and I could already see the lights of the Cullen house through the last remaining trees. As we reached the door Edward stopped and with lightning speed swept me from his back and into his arms cradling me as we entered to stares and smiles from the rest of the Cullen household.

"Bad Edward," I mocked as he shut the front door with his foot. He looked at me puzzled and placed me on the floor in front of him.

"What do you mean bad Edward?" Alice requested as she floated towards us.

A smile broke across my face and I replied in a serious tone "Well I thought that girls weren't supposed to be carried over the threshold until their wedding day"

At hearing this everyone broke into thunderous laughter, even Edward's sister Rosalie who still seemed to resent the feelings that the rest of her family had towards me and I had for them.

Edward lifted me up once more and said still sniggering, "I don't care. Only we here know about it. I promise no one will find out. You have my word as a vampire."

"Why thank you, but you aren't just a vampire, you are the sexiest, most handsome and kind hearted vampire that ever existed and you are all mine." I giggled back as Edward carried me up the stairs towards his room.

"Always and forever my love. I will always be yours and I will always love you."

As Edward placed me back on the floor outside his door I couldn't wait to get in his room and have him all to myself. Edward flicked the light on as we walked in and directly in front of me was a huge bed taking up almost the entire room. It was the most exquisite looking bed I had ever seen, with a black wrought iron frame which was adorned with small rose buds and the most luxurious looking cream bed spread and pillows that I had ever laid my eyes on.

I turned to Edward, a puzzling look upon my face. Has he finally decided to grant me the one thing he always refused, himself. I was just about to open my mouth and question this when he jumped in, "Bella, darling don't get any ideas. I am not sure I can do that yet. I just thought you would get tired during the night and you would need somewhere to sleep."

That was my Edward, always looking after me even when sleep was the last thing on my mind. I sat on the end of the bed and beckoned him to come and join me. As he sat and put his arm around my shoulder I felt myself melt into his embrace. We sat like that for what could have been hours when Edward suddenly brushed his free hand against my jaw and lifted my face pulling me into a passionate kiss.

The feeling I had whenever I kissed Edward was like no other feeling I had experienced, and it was one that I knew I would never tire of. It started off slow and gentle but got deeper and more sensual as the kiss went on. Our mouths parted and I began to trace Edward's teeth with my tongue, he breathed in my scent, gave me one last kiss and pulled away.

I knew that the scent of my blood which seemed so much sweeter to him than anyone else's caused him physical pain but he never seemed to shy from it like he used to. He told me once soon after he had rescued me in the Ballet studio that smelling my scent was like "enjoying the bouquet but resisting the wine," meaning he wanted me more than he wanted my blood.

I looked towards him as he silently stood up and walked across his pristine white shag pile carpet over to the dresser in the corner. He lifted out a small red velvet box, cupped in his hand and then made his way back to where I was still sitting. He stood directly in front of me and before I had time to register what he was about to do he knelt on one knee and took my left hand in his, never letting his gaze leave my now tear stung face. I took a long deep breath.

"Isabella Swan?"

I struggled to gain my composure as soon as he said my name so adoringly. I now knew what was coming and it was the moment I had fantasized about since I first laid eyes on Edward Cullen.

"I love you more than I ever thought I possibly could Bella. I can't concentrate on anything but you, I long to be near you when we are apart and worship you above all others. I want the whole world to know my love for you. So Bella please will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

I was stunned into a blissed out silence as Edward said these words. I looked down at the velvet box he was now holding open in front of me, the most beautiful diamond encrusted ring placed inside. I recognized it instantly. It was his mother Elizabeth's own engagement ring and on her death bed she had told her son to give to the girl who ruled his heart like no other. Without another moment of hesitation I placed my hand gently on his cheek and answered his question.

"Edward you are the air I breathe, you are my heart and soul and you are my protector. I have never loved anyone as much as I love you at this moment, and so of course I will marry you I can't think of anything I would ever want more."

Edwards face pulled into a huge grin as he took in my answer and slid the ring onto my finger. He kissed into place and then pulled us both up into a passionate hug. He rested his forehead on mine, his fingers now entangled in my hair and whispered,

"Always remember my beautiful fiancée, that you are my life now."

At that exact moment every nerve ending in my body was electric and it was with a loud crash of the door that I came back down to earth terror gripping my entire form.


	2. The Letter

**AUTHORS NOTES - Hi I am really enjoying writing this story and I hope you are enjoying reading it. This chapter is mainly situated around Edward and Bella and there last happy days together before everything starts to go wrong. Slight spoiler there, sorry lol. I promise you that from chapter 3 onwards it is action packed right up until the very end. So please keep reading and please, please, please review. It will give me the incentive to update much faster. Thanks.**

Chapter 2 – The Letter.

BPOV

"Oh my god guys, you scared the life out of me." I screamed whilst the sudden fear left my body.

Alice, Rosalie, Emmett and Jasper all stood in the doorway laughing hysterically at my reaction to their entrance. I looked up at Edward who was not laughing like the others but staring intently at me, with nothing but a look of love oozing from his face. I quickly hugged my new fiancée and then turned to face my soon to be brothers and sisters in law.

"Look everyone I am happy that you are so glad that we have decided to marry."

"More than you can know," little Alice repeated. I smiled at her and continued.

"But please can me and Edward have some alone time, I mean it's a special moment for us." As soon as the words had left my mouth Edward had glided past me and began ushering his overexcited siblings out of the door.

Edward gently closed the door behind him, took what looked like a deep breath, although I knew better and slowly turned to face me. He stood on the spot, a huge crooked smile stretching across his face and it was then that I realised I had never loved him as much as did at that exact moment. The 'man' standing in front of me, the god, the angel loved me more than any other and wanted to marry me so he could show the world his love. I really am the luckiest girl in the world.

An hour later I was back in my room, snuggled into my darling Edwards arms. He hummed my lullaby, a tried and tested method to get me to sleep. Just as I was beginning to lose consciousness Edward stopped humming and looked directly at me questioningly.

"Bella," he whispered.

"Yes Edward," I replied delicately.

"I need to know something. My mind can't rest until I know."

"What is it, my gorgeous husband to be?"

"Why were you so terrified back at the house?"

I immediately became alert when I heard his query and didn't want to answer. I knew he would try and convince me everything was fine when I told him, but I knew that I wouldn't feel completely safe until the threat was non-existent, even in Edward's arms.

"Oh it doesn't matter, I was just being stupid."

Edward frowned and placed his hand under my chin, forcing me to look at him when I turned my head away.

"Bella, I know you better than anyone and I know when something is wrong, please just tell me."

"Ok, ok I admit I am still worried about Victoria. Every time I hear a loud noise or see something out of the corner of my eye I think it's her."

"Darling, why didn't you tell me, you must know that I wouldn't let her get anywhere near you." I could hear the sadness that Edward felt after my admission and it made my eyes run with tears.

"Edward, know that I never feel as protected as when I am with you but until she is found I will never be completely safe. You know and I know that if she really wanted to get me she would find a way."

"Please don't think that Bella, I promise you with everything that I have that she or anyone else will not get anywhere near you." I sensed the urgency in his voice as he tried to convince me repeatedly that he would make it ok.

10 minutes later Edward was still staring at me with loving but also nervous eyes. I didn't want this special night, the night we became engaged to be ruined with thoughts of her. I knew I had to finish the awkward silence that now filled the room and an idea popped into my head that might just do it.

2 weeks previous to this night I had brought my then boyfriend a gift which I was planning to give him when the time was right. The timing now was perfect and as the thoughts of his reaction to the gift rushed through my head I lifted myself up so that I was perched on the bedside. Edward stayed still as marble, a perfect masterpiece and watched as I smiled at him and reached into the top drawer of the bedside table. Knowing that he still couldn't see my hands I took the gold ring out of the silk bag I had kept it in and placed it on my finger along with the engagement ring that I now owned.

I laid back down on the bed and turned to face Edward. We both looked at each other, leaning on our elbows and as Edward kissed my nose and then forehead I placed my left hand in his. He rubbed my fingers with his own as he continued to kiss me along the jaw and cheek when suddenly his fingers stopped on the new ring. He pulled his face away from mine and looked into my eyes before breaking his glance and looking at the men's ring that was placed on my finger. Confusion crossed his face as I took my hand away from his and sat up on the bed, still facing towards my beloved. I took the ring off and placed into his left hand, cupping my fingers over it so that I could speak before he got a proper look at it.

"Edward a couple of weeks ago when you were hunting with your brothers I missed you so much. I wanted to prove my love for you so I brought you this ring."

"Oh my god Bella, I know how much you love me. It's nearly as much as I love you," he smirked.

"Don't you see, that's the precise point. I want you to know that I love you just as much as you love me. We are equal in love, two halves that are now one."

I took my fingers away from his hand and waited for him to look at it. He lifted the ring up to his face to get a proper look and read the inscription I had had engraved inside,

_As long as we exist I will love you, your Bella x_

I then took the ring back off of him, kissed it and put it on his wedding finger. We laid back down on the bed and gazed at Edwards ring, now in its rightful place. I nuzzled my head in his shoulder and felt his lips touch my _ear. _It was at that moment that he started humming my lullaby again and I fell into a love filled sleep.

The next morning I awoke after an uninterrupted sleep to find my Edward gone. I knew this would be the case as it was every morning. Every day at 7am sharp Charlie would peek through my door to check that I was still there, fully aware that I always wanted to be with Edward.

It was now 7.30 and Charlie had already left for his early start at work. I pulled myself out of bed, quickly jumped in the shower, and then got ready for yet another day of school. That's when it dawned on me. I would never again be just plain Miss Isabella Swan. I was now the soon to be Mrs. Isabella Cullen. My heart fluttered at the sound of that name which was eventually going to be my own. This morning was turning out to be one of the best of my life.

Only half an hour later I was back in Edwards arms as he arrived to take me to Forks high. On the way we both decided that until we had told Charlie and Renee about the engagement that it would be wise to take the rings off. After all we didn't want the whole of the student body to know before my family did. We were now in the school parking lot removing our rings and placing them in the glove compartment of the Volvo. We got out of the car and began making our way to class. Edward had his arm around me and we weren't even half way across the lot when we both had this overwhelming feeling that something was missing. Edward kissed me on the forehead and then made his way back to the car. Before I could even take 2 breaths he was back and had his ring now swinging from his neck on a gold chain. I was wearing a necklace that day luckily, so also had a place to hang my treasured object of our love. I tucked the necklace under my shirt and then touched my lips to Edwards ring and did the same to his. His arms were then back around my shoulders and we happily made our way back towards the school doors.

We had all the same lessons as each other that day, all apart from one anyway, and as we made it through the first part in a loved up haze it then registered in both our minds that we were going to have to spend the last hour of school apart. That information didn't sit well with either of us.

Edward walked me to homeroom, my last lesson. As we stopped in the doorway he pulled me into a tight hug and kissed me passionately, dreading the next hour away from me and I from him. We parted and I remained where I stood watching him as he turned the corner and out of sight.

Halfway into the lesson I was really struggling to concentrate. My mind kept flickering back to the last moment I saw him in the hall. I couldn't help fiddling with my necklace when I knew no body was watching and I kept sneaking little kisses onto it throughout my struggle.

Only 10 more minutes had passed and I was fidgeting in my seat, unable to keep still any longer with my longing for Edward. I had to see him and I had to see him there and then. I looked towards the teacher and raised my hand.

"Sir, I am feeling a bit faint can I please go and get some fresh air?"

"Miss Swan, go but make sure you hurry back."

I jumped out of my seat and bounded out of the door and towards the gym. Edward's gym lesson was one I always wanted to see. Watching both him and Jasper trying to control their strength and determination around the other students must be a sight to behold. I mentally came to the decision that once I made it to the gym I would tell the teacher that Edward was needed in the office urgently about an issue regarding his attendance. It's all I could think of at the time.

I quickly made my way into the gym where I expected to see Edward playing basketball along with everyone else. I walked over to the teacher, told him the situation and asked where Edward was.

"Mr. Cullen is in the locker rooms. He was feeling pretty unwell so I let him sit out for the last part of the lesson. You will find him there."

I walked to the other side of the gym and through to the boys locker room. I reached the door and before opening it decided to get a quick look at my fiancée before entering. He was beautiful lying across the bench and twisting his ring in his fingers just as I was not 10 minutes earlier.

At that moment my emotions overtook me and I quickly pushed my way through the door and jumped on top of him before even he could register what was going on. He looked up at me as I began showering him with light kisses and laughed in my ear.

"I'm sorry; I couldn't bear not being with you a minute longer Edward."

"I feel exactly the same. That's why I had to sit out of gym; I couldn't concentrate enough to control what I was doing. All I was thinking about was you."

We spent the next 10 minutes proclaiming our love to each other over and over until it was time to make it back to the hell which was homeroom.

I was only back a minute when the bell rung for the end of the day and I was so excited to be back with my Edward.

I shoved everything into my bag not taking time to be neat about it. God knows where my keys were in that mess. I would just have to worry about that later. I walked through the door which led to the car park when I was suddenly lifted off the ground, Edward now cradling me in his arms.

"Awww, Bella I have missed you so much."

"Edward we have only been apart 5 minutes. What are you going to be like later when we can't see each other for hours? You know Charlie won't let you in," I giggled.

"Well I know that won't happen but I am hoping he will let you out."

I stared into his eyes, confused about what he had just said. Why would I have to convince Charlie to let me out of the house?

As Edward drove me home he let me into the news that Alice and Esme had both decided to throw Edward and me an engagement party and that they would need Edwards help getting everything ready. I of course had to go home and wait for Charlie so that I could reel of some excuse to leave the house, with Edward picking me up. It was unlikely to work but I had to try.

Edward pulled the Volvo into the drive and met me at the passenger door.

"Bella I thought about it and why don't you tell Charlie that we are having a birthday party for Esme and that she really wants you there."

The plan was simple but perfect. Charlie was the real guilty type and if I spun him that fib it would surely work.

"Great idea my love."

I kissed Edward fiercely and told him that he had better leave because Charlie would be back in less than half an hour.

Edward gave me one last embrace, got back in the car and drove away slowly, not taking his eyes off me as he went down the street.

Once he was gone I made my way up to the front door, rummaging through my bag looking for my house keys. It was at the moment I found them and looked up from my mess of a bag that I noticed it. Taped to the front door was a letter, a letter addressed to me.


	3. Go Bella

Chapter 3 – Go Bella.

BPOV

The moment I caught sight of the letter attached to my door I knew something was seriously wrong. If only Alice still had her visions. She would have seen this coming. Why did I tell Edward to go? I needed him here with me, something wasn't right. It was strange that after everything that has happened between us in the last year that it was still him I wanted near me when I felt uneasy. I love him more than I thought I could possibly love anyone and I couldn't wait to become his wife. I just had to tell my dad.

I stood completely still on the spot, not able to take eyes of the letter in front of me. My arm furiously shook as I slowly lifted it into the air, removing the envelope from the door with my hand.

I turned it over and over in my fingers looking to see if I recognised the way my name was written upon it, I didn't.

Slowly I stepped away from the door and sat outside on the porch steps. I placed the letter in my lap and pulled my cell phone out of my jeans pocket. I scrolled through to Edwards number and was just about to ring him and tell him about what I had found when I spotted something. The still unread letter was sealed with a wax stamp, that being unusual in itself these days. However, that is not what sent fear shivering through my entire body. There embossed on the centre of the blood red stamp was one letter, that letter being a V. I knew then that this meant that the letter laid in front of me could have come from only one of 2 places either Victoria or The Volturi.

I lifted the letter up again in one hand and my cell phone ready to ring Edward's number in the other. I was just about to hit the dial button when a strange feeling came over me which stopped me doing so, almost as if I knew subconsciously that if Edward knew what was happening now it would put him in danger. That I could not allow to happen. I placed the phone by my side on the step and proceeded to open the letter.

My breathing became very heavy as I forced my eyes to read the words. I didn't have long; Charlie would be back in less than 20 minutes. I looked down at the words and read;

Isabella Swan.

I think it's time we sorted out our differences don't you? Your mate took mine from me and I intend to do the same to him and get rid of you forever.

You are going to do exactly what I am about to tell you to do or you and your spineless little friends will perish at mine and the Volturi's hand.

I was panicking uncontrollably now but I knew that I had to do whatever I could to keep my family safe. I read on, eager to find out what I had to do to get this over with.

Now let's get to business. I plan to go to my new friends in Italy and tell them that the Cullen's are dangerously close to revealing their identities as vampires and are therefore putting us all at risk. They will surely come to exterminate them and I for one can't wait to see it.

However if you don't wish that to happen there is only one thing you can do, sacrifice yourself and go to the Volturi in my place and stay with them forever, or at least until they decide to suck all of the blood out of your weak body.

Nobody can know of this plan, they will only try and stop you. You must leave your home forever as soon as you have read this and not tell a soul, even your Edward.

Victoria.

The second I had read the last words I grabbed my things off of the porch step, bounded into the house and went straight to my room. I only had 10 minutes now before Charlie would get home and I needed to leave before he got back. I wouldn't be able to face him and not give my sadness and fear away. I pulled open the top drawer of my dresser and pulled out an old sock from the back. Inside the sock I kept over 300 dollars (for emergencies). I placed the money in my pocket and threw the first clothes I could get my hands on in a bag and shut the door behind me.

Sobbing hysterically at the thought of never seeing the Cullen's, my parents and most of all my beloved Edward I wrote out a short note to Charlie explaining that I had gone for good.

**Can't explain, leaving Forks forever. I love you always, Bella. P.s this has nothing to do with Edward. Tell him not to look for me.**

After scribbling out the words I left the note on the kitchen counter where I knew he would find it almost as soon as he came through the door. I only had minutes to spare but I had to leave something in my room that I knew only Edward would find.

After I had settled everything I took one last look at my small but beautiful house and ran out towards my truck in the rain. As I bolted down the steps trying to get away before Charlie returned I tripped and landed on my knees, scattering half the contents of my shoulder bag on the front lawn. I shoved what I thought was everything back into the bag, zipped it shut securely, threw it along with my other bag of clothes into the back of the truck and shut the driver's door behind me.

Once inside I managed to gain my composure, suddenly comfortable in thought that I was keeping Edward and everyone else that I love out of harm's way. I turned the key in the ignition and reversed the car out of the driveway. As I drove away from the house I spotted Charlie's cruiser in the distance. That was the closest I would ever get to my dad again, and I was resigned in the fact. There was one more place I had to go before I left Forks forever, and I was only going there so that my angelic fiancée Edward would soon know that even after my sudden and mysterious departure that I loved him more than anyone.

CPOV

Oh what a tough day at the station that was. I don't think. I was giggling quietly to myself as I pulled towards my house when I noticed that Bella's truck was missing. She knew full well that she wasn't allowed to leave the house without telling me where she was going.

As I got out the car and made my to the front door only one persons face crossed my mind. Edward Cullen. She had to be with him, I knew it. Every day she begged me to let her see him after school and every day I refused. When she was at school there was nothing I could do to keep them apart but once it was over I had every right to tell her who she could and couldn't see. I can't handle the thought of him leaving her broken hearted again. It was the darkest time of both of our lives. She couldn't function without him and I couldn't bear to see her suffering like that. I vowed to never let him hurt her again.

I walked through the front door and entered the lounge as I contemplated what I was going to say to my daughter when she finally decided to grace me with her presence. I took off my jacket and hung it up. Then I took my gun out of my back pocket and placed it in the drawer in the hall. I made my way over to my recliner and sat, now with the newspaper in hand and still seething at Bella's defiance to my rules.

10 minutes later and with the paper finally read front to back I got up, every limb aching from being at work all day and made my way to the kitchen to make myself something to eat. I walked over to the refrigerator about to hunt down something to crush my hunger when I noticed a small crumpled piece of paper on the counter opposite.

I picked it up quickly knowing almost instantly that it would be from Bella and read the tear stained note.

**Can't explain, leaving Forks forever. I love you always, Bella. P.s this has nothing to do with Edward. Tell him not to look for me.**

When I read the message for the third time tears started to roll down my face. Why would she leave, and for good? What had I done? She was so happy this morning. What could have happened in the last seven hours that would make her want to leave me and her home forever? There was only one answer, Edward.

I ran as fast as my legs would carry me to the hall where I pulled open the drawer that I placed my gun in earlier and grabbed my phone book. I knew I had Dr Cullen's number in there somewhere and if I could get hold of Carlisle I could get hold of the boy.

I eventually found the number then went back in the lounge, grabbed the phone off the small coffee table in front of me and dialled the number I had for Carlisle Cullen.

"Hello," Carlisle muttered non-suspecting on the other end of the phone.

"Carlisle, it's Charlie. I want to talk to Edward right now."

"Oh, umm of course Charlie one moment."

I didn't even have to wait 5 seconds before Edward was there.

"Hi Charlie, what can I help you with."

"Edward Cullen, what the hell have you done to Bella this time?" I yelled.

"What? Charlie I don't what you're talking about. What's wrong with Bella?"

"Yeah, like you don't know," I retaliated.

"Charlie really I don't. Please tell me what's going on," Edward cried.

"Just get over the house now and I will explain everything."

"I am on my way. I will be there as soon as possible."

The phone then went dead but I still held it to my ear. If Edward had no idea what had happened then how was I ever meant to find out and get her back. It was unfathomable to me and couldn't stop myself from dropping the phone to the ground and collapsing back in my chair. I held my head in my hands and went through the last time I saw Bella over and over in my head. When I poked my head past her bedroom door this morning she was deep in sleep and looked blissfully happy hugging her pillow as she mumbled "Edward, I love you" in her unconsciousness.

I was now on the verge of losing all my composure at that very moment, when all of sudden I heard screeching tyres getting closer to the house from outside. I didn't even have to look out of the window to know who it was.


	4. Confusion

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Chapter 4 – Confusion

EPOV

I put the phone down, still reeling from the baffling conversation I had just had with Charlie about my darling Bella. I turned to face my family, a million questions running through my head, when I was interrupted by thoughts coming from every direction.

Edward, Edward whatever is the matter? Esme questioned.

Then Rosalie and Emmett had exactly the same thought at the same time. Ed why are you gawking like that? Charlie said something really bad didn't he, Jasper continued.

I completely ignored my families questioning and began to run towards the car. Before I had even opened the driver's door I started questioning myself out loud. "What the hell has happened to Bella to make Charlie react that way?" "If someone has hurt her I don't what I'll do." "Who would want to hurt little Bella anyway? She wouldn't harm a fly." It was then just as I was speeding on to her street that it dawned on me. There was someone who wanted to hurt her, someone who wanted nothing more than to get revenge for me killing their mate, Victoria. Why couldn't I protect her when I told her I would? Why didn't anyone smell her scent if she was nearby? It must have been because it was raining when I dropped Bella home earlier and her scent was because of this so strong that it was all I could concentrate on.

I pulled into the drive and noticed that Bella's truck was gone. That's when I got really worried. She wouldn't leave when she knew I was coming. Would she? I sped to the door still questioning in my head why Bella would want to leave me when I thought we had both been so happy. I mean, she seemed happier than anyone I had ever seen when I dropped her home earlier. Something must have happened after I left to make this terrible situation of which I was still completely confused occur.

I made my way up to the door and banged on it so fiercely that my hand almost went through it. Charlie answered quickly and the second I saw him grief hit me. He had the look on his face that people have when someone they love has died. I knew now that the situation I found myself in was a lot worse than I first thought it was. Thunder crossed his features as he settled his eyes on me and he pushed me into the lounge. I tried to pick up Bella's scent and it was there but only faintly. She was gone. Gone from her dad and gone from me. How could I let this happen?

"Edward, you better start explaining where Bella has gone now or I swear I will have you arrested."

"Charlie, I swear I don't know. I am just as confused as you are. She seemed so happy when I left her earlier."

Charlie could tell by the tearless sobs I cried as I said this that I was no closer to knowing of Bella's whereabouts than he was.

Charlie took my arm and silently ushered me to sit on the sofa beside him. I did as he asked and placed my head in my hands all my thoughts on my fiancée, now missing in action.

Only 2 minutes had passed and I was ready to run out the house and search hell and high water to find my angel, when suddenly Charlie placed something in my hand.

I read the note Charlie had handed to me and as I settled on the words **P.s this has nothing to do with Edward. Tell him not to look for me **I was overcome with an immense feeling of lose and it felt like my non-beating heart was breaking. I carefully ran my hands over the note stained with tears fully aware that it was my Bella's cry that left the paper imprinted in this way.

Before even I could look up Charlie settled himself next to me, put his arm around my shuddering shoulders and said,

"I am sorry that I thought you had anything to do with it. I can see now how much you love her. We have to get her back Edward, we just have to."

I jumped out of my seat and turned to face Charlie, his eyes exactly the same shade of chocolate brown as those of my lost love and promised, "Charlie do not fear, I swear to you on my existence that I will find her. I will make sure she comes back to us if it's the last thing I do."

Charlie nodded his movements full of sorrow as I turned away from him and bound up the stairs towards Bella's bedroom. Charlie did not follow but remained in his seat, overtaken by what had happened.

As I reached the door I took one unneeded breath and entered. Her scent was still so strong here that I couldn't control my sadness. I sunk to the floor in a state of confusion, sadness, lose, fear and mostly love for my dearly departed Bella who I had last been with less than 3 hours ago.

I managed to gain my composure as I mentally became fully aware that Bella, my Bella was in grave danger. I needed to find out what had happened and I needed to find out as quickly as possible.

I pulled myself up and looked around her room, exactly the same from the last time I was in here, but with the exception of two things. Her dresser drawers were all open; she had obviously been in a rush to get away. Secondly, nestled in between the pillows on the bed was her worn out copy of Wuthering Heights. Most people wouldn't have thought twice about seeing a book lying on a bed, but I knew better. Bella either kept the book in her school bag so she could read it when we were at school or out, if she had the chance or it was on the coffee table in the lounge. It was a place she kept it after she spent a long afternoon reading, usually when I was away hunting and she wanted to stay distracted.

I placed myself on the edge of the bed and took the book in my hand. I kissed it gently and smelt her gorgeous scent radiating from it as I did so. I took the tattered book in one hand and began fanning through it with the other. I wanted her scent to waft over my face and I knew that because she read this one book so much that fanning through it was a sure fire way of getting the quick hit that I wanted.

I was halfway through the book when something fell out from between the pages and hit the floor. I looked down at the rectangular envelope curiously. I put the book down on the bedside table and picked up the envelope. It was blank and as I opened it I knew what I would find. Nearly a year ago to this date Charlie had taken a series of photo of me and Bella together and I knew this would be one of them. I lifted the photo out of the envelope and read what was written on the back, not sure that I could keep control if I saw her face staring back at me.

**Edward I will love you forever, remember me. Your Bella x**

I was almost happy as these words confirmed to me that I had done nothing to drive Bella away. She did still love me and I loved her more than anything. Something really terrible must have happened to take her away from me and I was determined to find out what.

Bella must have known that I would look for her no matter what she wanted, that is why she left the picture inside the book. I knew her better than she knew herself and she must have realised that I would come into her room at some point looking for clues and would notice the book.

I still had the picture in my hand and was overcome with a want to see her. This picture was the closest I was going to get to being with her, for a while at least.

As I turned the picture over the first thing I looked at was my own face, beaming with happiness and love as I looked at my reason for existing. My eyes moved down to the part of the photo where my arms were tightly wrapped around my now fiancée's waist, her tightly gripping them with her hands as I did so. The last element of the photo that I focused on was her face. Her flawless, doll like features were one of the reasons I loved her so much. The blush that engulfed her cheeks as she smiled at the camera made my once beating heart melt every time I saw it and those beautiful eyes that looked deep into my soul with nothing but a look of loving and deep and undeniable bliss. I would treasure this photo forever, a true commemorative of our love for one another. This picture would stay with me at all times, well at least until I had the real Bella back in my arms where she belongs.

I ran my thumb over the picture, kissed Bella's face delicately and placed it in my jacket pocket next to my heart, where it would stay until she came back in my life.

I solemnly walked back down the stairs finding Charlie still sat in the exact spot I left him in, with one slight exception. Now tearless sobs rang through his body. He was inconsolable. I knelt directly in front of him, forcing him to look up at me, then vowed,

"I promise you she will come home. I will find her, don't doubt that. Trust me Charlie."

Charlie just nodded again slowly and then fell back into his state of depression. I walked out of the front door and back onto the porch. I had an overwhelming feeling of fear rush over me. This must have been where it happened. I could still feel the remnants of Bella's terror radiating around this small enclosed area. I sat on the porch step trying to gain my thoughts when suddenly something occurred to me, her phone. She never parted with her phone. During her waking hours it was always with her, an order from Charlie, her mum and even me. It was so we could always keep in touch with her. When she was sleeping it was always next to the bed, never more than a foot away from her at all times.

Surely Charlie would have tried ringing her already and failed. He would have told me. If ever I was to get hold of Bella I knew it would be this way. I pulled my own cell out of my back jeans pocket, the same place she kept hers in her jeans and scrolled to her number. I pressed send expecting to either find the phone was turned off or that she may even answer. My hopes rushed as I heard the phone ring. It was switched on. I wanted to hear her so badly, that's when I heard the buzzing noise coming from behind the bush at the foot of the porch steps. I continued to hold the phone to my ear, just in case I was hallucinating and reached for the object buzzing around my feet. I reached down and picked up what was definitely Bella's cell phone. I shut my phone off and began ogling Bella's phone. Why was her phone here? Why would she go anywhere without it? Does she even know that she doesn't have it? I came to the conclusion that Bella must have been in such a blind rush and panic that she dropped the phone in her hurried frenzy to get away from the house.

I got back into my car, Bella's phone still in hand and sped back towards my house. If anyone could find out what was happening it was my sister Alice. For some reason she hadn't had any of her usual visions for months but I had to make her see. She had to find out what was happening to my Bella.

As I approached the house I spotted my entire family standing outside waiting for me. I stepped out of the car and as soon as I caught sight of my mum Esme, sadness spreading across her entire face I collapsed onto the ground sobbing. Everyone rushed to my side afraid beyond measure at what I had found at Bella's house when one voice brought me out of my haze and back into reality, Alice. She sat on the wet ground next to me, put her gentile hand on the side of my face and whispered "Edward, it's Bella, I have seen something. We need to find her. We need to find her, now."


	5. Back To School

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Chapter 5 – Back To School

EPOV

"What do you mean you have seen something? You haven't had any visions for months," I bellowed at Alice as we all rushed our way into the house.

Whatever any of my family was thinking at that moment I could not hear it. My mind was completely absorbed with Bella and I couldn't concentrate on anything going on around me. I crashed into the first seat I reached which happened to be the sofa in the lounge. Esme sat quietly next to me and tried her best to sooth my grief by rubbing my back with her hand. Everyone else took seats around me, with the exception of Alice. She knelt directly in front of me, took my hand in hers and then looked deeply into my eyes.

"Edward, I know you can't think right now but I need you to see what I have visualised. It might help save Bella."

I was listening to what my sister was saying to me but I still couldn't let the guard I had placed on my mind down. I was so afraid of what I might see. Bella must be in such a dire situation if it jumpstarted Alice's visions again and I wasn't sure I could bear to learn the truth.

"Look it is going to be difficult to see, god knows I had to try my hardest to keep myself together when I first saw it, mainly for Jasper. If he had sensed my emotions then it would have sent him over the edge and that's the last thing we need right now." Alice murmured whilst her elbow rested on Jaspers knee, him sitting next to me on the opposite side to Esme.

Emmett was the next person to speak, and was the one who finally got me to start responding.

"Bro, you know we all love Bella, even Rosalie has her moments. We are here for you whatever has happened and will find her together as a family. We will bring her home."

"Thanks Emmett. Alice I am ready, you can show me now."

Alice's eyes suddenly went blank as she brought her now regained visions to the forefront of her mind and settled on the one she had seen of Bella less than half an hour previously.

The next vision that I saw as I let Alice's mind invade mine will live with me for the rest of my existence. The first image that came into the forefront was that of a hospital room with one bed in it. I recognised the hospital easily; it was the local hospital in our town of Forks. Lying in the bed was a small and static bundle which could have been mistaken for a corpse in morgue were it not for the shallow breathing coming from the body and the head that peeked above the top of the sheets. Bella was back in Forks, she was alive just and she was in hospital where she could be well looked after. As the vision slowly continued I felt sudden relief knowing that whatever happened Bella would eventually come back home and she would be alive, she would survive, she had to. A smile nearly broke across my face but vanished before it even had time to appear as I saw Bella's parents, Carlisle and myself all move to the side of the bed, distraught looks on all our faces. Carlisle asked us all if we wanted to say our final words to Bella and I immediately felt more helpless than ever. Charlie and Renee kissed her on the cheek and told her they loved her. She still wasn't moving. I then lent over her bedside and ran my fingers through her luscious brown hair. I delicately placed my lips on her forehead and kissed her longingly. I put my lips up to her ear and whispered, "Bella don't be afraid. I will be with you soon; wherever you go I will find you. I can't live in a world where you don't exist, I love you." I gave her one last kiss, stood beside Charlie as he put his arm around me and watched Charlie nod to Carlisle. Carlisle walked over to Bella's side and turned off the machine that was keeping her alive. Thump...thump...thump...thump.............thump....................thump..................thump. That's when her heart beat for the last time and my Bella was gone.

I came back to reality, never feeling more distraught and fraught with agony as I did at that exact moment in time. Alice filled everyone in on the vision as I paced through the house at super human speed. I need to gain some perspective on what was happening if I had any chance of changing what I had just seen. I would never let that happen. I would never let anyone take Bella away from me, even Carlisle and Charlie. My beautiful Bella is a fighter and she would not give up on herself or me so I then vowed as I crossed the kitchen and back into the lounge that I would do the same. I would fight for her. I would fight for us.

I spent the whole night running through the forest alone. My siblings said they would join me but I needed Alice to concentrate on her visions and everyone else to stay near Forks in case something happened whilst I was gone. I raced through countless acres of trees and wilderness, crossed state borders and then searched again as I made my return the next day. Bella obviously left by car, her scent was nowhere to be found. It was untraceable. The only remaining place which held my fiancées intoxicating aroma was her own house and I knew that if I was to continue on my quest to bring my beloved back home then I would need to go back to her home and get my quick fix of Bella.

I decided to go back home first to see if any developments had taken place. I was almost certain there wasn't. As I got closer the only thoughts I heard radiating from my family were ones full of worry for Bella's safety and the reaction her disappearance was having on me. I went through the front door and found my siblings getting ready to go to school.

"You are going to school. What are you thinking." I shouted whilst looking over them all.

"Bella is out there somewhere frightened and hurt and we need to spend our time finding her not sitting in a classroom pretending to learn things we know already."

Carlisle was at my side in a second and responded to my questioning without a moment's hesitation. "Edward it's best that everyone remains as normal. People will start to get suspicious if they notice that we and Bella have suddenly disappeared without a word. You will be no good here anyway. If anything develops Alice will see it or if we hear anything we will make sure you know straight away. Please son, go to school, Bella would want you to. She wouldn't want you to shrink into yourself like this. Be strong for her."

"Ok, ok I will for Bella, but if I need to get away from there I will leave. I will not allow anyone to stop me."

"That's understandable son, I completely agree with you."

I left for school with everyone else but I left them on the way. There was somewhere I had to go first. I had to visit my Bella's house one more time before I faced the world without her.

I was parked up outside Bella's within 10 minutes of leaving my own house and as I got out and looked up at her window I almost expected to see her appear, beaming down at me with her gorgeous smile. I shook the thoughts out of my head and glided up the side of the house and through her still open window. I lay on the bed, the same place I settled myself every night when I snuck in to her room. Her copy of Wuthering Heights was still in the same place that I left it the night before but that was all that slightly held the remainder of her scent. I walked across the hall and into the bathroom where I spotted Bella's strawberry shampoo. I lifted the lid and took a huge sniff. The aroma caught me and for a moment Bella was back in my arms as I rested face in her hair and let the smell of her engulf me.

2 hours passed and I was now back in her bedroom, hugging the pillow that supported her fragile head and neck each night. I realised that it was nearly lunchtime at school and I thought I better try and make an appearance. I pulled myself together and leapt out of the window without looking back as I got into my car and drove away. As I got closer to the school and further away from my Bella's home, her sanctuary I began to convulse with tearless cries and promised myself that that would be the last time I lost control of my emotions in that way again. The next time I would be hysterical because of Bella it would be because I was undeniably happy. We would be back in our meadow, encircled in each other's arms as we showered each other with endless kisses.

By the time I got parked up in the school lot lunch was coming to an end and people were already making their way to the next lesson. For me that was Biology, and it would be taking place in the exact place I first spoke to Bella, first learned the true colour of her eyes, first caught her luxurious scent in the back of my throat and was the setting for the place I fell in love with her, even if I didn't know it at the time.

I walked into the classroom and gazed over at my fellow pupils. None of them had any suspicions to Bella's whereabouts. It had been less than a day, and going by their thoughts they assumed that she just had a cold or something of that nature.

I sat down in my usual seat and suddenly felt more alone and secluded than I had ever felt in my entire life. Bella was not there, my partner, my lover, my fiancée who was always seated next to me holding my hand in this lesson and I had to deal with the knowledge that I didn't know when of god forbid if she would ever take her seat here again.

Class seemed to last forever and I managed to get through it by clutching the engagement ring still around my neck in my left hand and resting my right arm across the seat where my darling was usually placed. When the bell rang at the end of the double period I was almost happy that I could now go home and continue on in the search of Bella, my perfect, delicate, beautiful, sweet and caring reasoning for being.

I trudged out of the classroom, the weight of the world on my shoulders when I noticed one of Bella's closest friends staring straight at me, a look of sadness and confusion crossing her entire face. I walked towards her stopped directly in front of her line of vision. Did she know something? She looked like she knew something?

She settled her eyes on me and smiled.

"Hi Edward. Last night Bella dropped by and asked me to give you a message." Angela said a normal tone to her voice.

"Angela what do you mean you saw her last night? When? What did she say? How was she?" I demanded.

"Whoa calm down. She just said that she was going away for a while and could I give you this letter. She didn't want Charlie to find it and she said she only trusted me to get it to you."

I shakily took the letter that Angela now held out to me and couldn't take my eyes off it. Written upon the outside of the folded note were just two words **My Edward. **I immediately felt slightly closer to her and couldn't wait to find out what she had written inside. I was just beginning to turn and make my way out to the car and my family when Angela stopped me, worry invading her puppy like features.

"Look, I don't know what's going on but Bella seemed really upset last night, just as upset as you look now. She said goodbye as if she was never coming back. Please make sure she is ok Edward. Bring her back to us; she is the best friend I have ever had."

"Angela, I promise she will be back before you know it." I responded hoarsely then I turned once again and made my way outside.

I was across the lot and locked in the car within 20 seconds of leaving Angela's side and did not hesitate in opening the letter and reading what was written upon the crumpled and once again tear stained paper.

**My Edward,**

**You have no idea how happy I was when you asked me to be Mrs Cullen. It was the happiest moment of my life. In fact I love you more than my own life and that's why I have to leave. Victoria sent me a letter telling me that if I didn't do as she asked then she would go to the Volturi and ask them to kill you and the rest of the Cullens. I can't allow that to happen.**

**Now Edward listen to me, don't try and find me, if Victoria finds out it will just make her plan fall into place even quicker. Please do this for me.**

**So you see I left because I love you and I always will. Your Bella x**

I settled on the last line of the letter. She loved me she really did. I would grant her last request if it would make her happy. I would not go on a useless search trying to find her. It would be a waste of time. After all there was no scent trail, no clues and no news. I had to sit and wait. If Alice's vision was anything to go by then Bella would eventually be found soon. I just hoped that it wasn't going to be too late. I loved Bella more than anything I had ever loved in all my 108 years and I knew that she would stay alive until I could get to her. I would trust her judgment.

I pulled the photo I had found in Bella's room the night before out of my pocket and was intensely comforted by Bella's face staring back at me. I focused my eyes on hers and spoke to her directly "Bella, hold tight my darling. We will be back together soon, even if I have to wait and do it your way. Be safe." Then I tucked the photo back against my beat less heart, turned the key in the ignition and sped away.


	6. One More Call

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Chapter 6 – One More Call

BPOV

It had now been 2 days since I was forced away from the ones I love on a quest of self sacrifice.

The hotel I was now sitting in was shabby to say the least. The brown carpeting was stained, I was sure as I looked down at it that it had been white once, the dreary wallpaper was hanging off of the walls. My plane to Italy wasn't until that night and the only place I could even attempt to get some rest was this sorry example for a hotel room.

I had been sitting on the end of the bed since I got there that morning and not moved a muscle. The entirety of my thoughts were focused on my parents, the Cullen's, my friends and most of all Edward. Edward, the god like creature who loved me more than anything in the world had lost me for a third time and I knew this time there was no going back. If I turned and ran back to him it would mean the end for all of us. I had to stay strong for them and that is all that kept me sitting there waiting and not running out to my truck and speeding back to Forks.

The first time Edward and I had been parted was when the tracker and Victoria's mate James decided he had to have my blood. Nothing could stop him from finding me. We all knew that he would expect Edward and me to stay together so we did the exact opposite and separated. The next time I saw him was in the ballet studio when I was close to death. He was my angel and I immediately felt alive again with him by my side.

The second time we were separated was when Edward left me for my own safety. I couldn't function without him and it was as if the light in my life had gone out and there was nothing but darkness.

Edward learned that I had killed myself even though I hadn't and went to the Volturi and asked them to kill him. He wouldn't live if I didn't exist. Luckily Alice and I became aware of his plan and managed to get to Volterra before Edward could reveal himself. The moment I saw him standing there in the darkness the light inside me switched back on and I was whole again. I had felt that way ever since. I was always consumed with love, life and reason, and all because of Edward. Now I felt the same way I did in those lost months when Edward and me weren't together and I knew back home he was feeling the exact same way I was now.

It was now Saturday lunchtime and I still hadn't moved. My flight was in 4 hours but I was in no rush. Seeing as I was staying in a hotel right next to my terminal I was aware that it would only take 20 minutes at most to get through check in and on to the plane.

As the time grew shorter and shorter it dawned on me that these hours would be the last where I would be in the same country as my beloved and that I would soon be apart from him for all eternity. At this thought I crumpled back onto the bed, clutched my knees to my chest and sobbed uncontrollably for almost an hour. I was so exhausted after my hysterics that I just lay still with my head against the moth eaten pillow, my eyes now running out of tears.

I lifted my head slightly and removed my chain from my neck. I stared at Edward's mother's ring which he had given me just 3 days earlier, a sign of our love and commitment. That is when new tears began to flow from my red, sore eyes. I removed the ring from the chain, my head now resting against the pillow once more, secured it to my wedding finger, gently kissed it and whispered "I do."

Only 10 minutes had passed since my solo vow when I became very fidgety and nervous. Why was this? I knew what to expect, I had been to Volterra before. I knew what I was walking into.

Oh no, maybe it was my subconscious trying to tell me something. What if Victoria tricked me, just as James had and sent the Volturi to kill the Cullen's anyway? What if they were already dead? What if Edward was...? I couldn't finish my last manic question. It forced the feeling of terror which was all too familiar to me now to pulse through my body with such intensity that I thought I was going to collapse. I shook violently as I thought about the danger my loved ones could be facing and came to realise that there was only one way to put my fears to rest. I had to ring them.

I had planned what I was going to do. Edward would be too inconsolable to think about answering phone calls, I knew him like the back of my hand. That then meant that another member of the family would answer my call. I could find out from them if they were fine or not and not have to speak to Edward at all. I didn't think my heart could handle hearing his voice and knowing that I would never be in his arms again.

I walked down to the lobby of the hotel and quickly made my way over to the help desk. I asked the women now standing in front of me to get me a taxi straight away; she nodded and told me it would be there in 5 minutes. There were now less than 3 hours until I had to be on the plane and I knew I had to hurry.

Once I was in the taxi I instructed the driver to drive in any direction for half an hour and then stop at the nearest payphone and wait. I couldn't use a phone close by in the fear that they would track the call and try and find me, I had to do this alone. I gave him 100 dollars to do as I said and he happily obliged.

As we drove through the dark I clutched to the ring now firmly in place on my finger and prayed that everything was fine back at home. After what seemed like hours the car finally stopped and I looked out of the window and saw a single payphone settled on the corner of the street. I got out and reminded the driver to wait for me.

I slowly stepped inside the phone booth, took a deep breath and dialled the number I had imprinted in my memory. I knew it off by heart. Usually when I rang, it would be my Edward that I heard at the other end to greet me but I knew tonight was going to be different.

I lifted the receiver to my left ear and listened to the phone ring. After only 2 rings someone picked up at the other end and I prepared myself for the hardest conversation I was ever going to have. I began,

"Hello," I murmured almost silently.

"Hello, who is this?" beautiful Alice replied down the phone.

Breathe Bella, just breathe. Just tell her quickly.

"Alice it's me Bella, don't tell Edward. Pretend I am someone else." I spurted out a million miles an hour.

I heard her quietly gasp through the phone and waited for her to continue.

"Ok, how can I help you?" a false sense of composure in her voice.

"Thanks, I need to know everything is alright. Is everybody still safe?"

"Why yes, we are all quite well thank you."

"And Edward? How is my Edward?"

Alice was silent and this made me all the more eager to get a reply from her.

"Alice can he hear you?"

"No." She said, sadness filling her voice.

"Tell me what's wrong."

"Bells, I have never seen him like this. He is a shell. Edward is not here anymore; it is as if a part of him died when you left. All he does is sit and stare at your picture. He isn't going to last much longer without you," Alice sobbed through the phone.

When I heard of the pain Edward was in because of my departure I burst into tears and all sense of reason left me. I had to speak to him. I had to hear him for myself and I needed to convince him that my leaving was for the best. God this was going to be tough.

I forced myself to stop crying and then spoke once again.

"Alice, it's ok everything will be ok. Can you please put your brother on. Oh and remember Alice I love you all."

"We love you to Bella and we always will. I will just get him, he is in the meadow. I won't tell him it's you. He won't believe me anyway and he needs to hear you himself."

"Ok Alice thanks."

The phone then went silent and I was becoming aware that time was running out. I had to get back soon if I was going to catch my plane in time. It would have to wait; I needed to hear him one last time.

2 minutes passed and then he was there. His voice whilst still sounding like an angels song was now empty and full of anguish.

"Hello, this is Edward Cullen."

I took one almighty breathe and answered.

"Edward it's me."

"Bella, Bella my love," he screamed triumphantly down the phone.

I broke down in tears as he said my name but knew I had continue and get off the phone and back to the airport as soon as possible.

"Edward, I am fine. Did Angela give you my note?"

"Yes she did, but Bella you have to tell me what's going on and where you are," my fiancée replied, loving and concern ringing through his voice.

"I can't do that. It would put you and everyone else in danger and I can't risk it," I cried.

"Bella, please I am going out of my mind, I need you here with me. I will always protect you, I love you Bella please.

My heart sank at hearing him talk this way. I loved him with my entire being and I knew I couldn't keep my thoughts to myself any longer. Before I knew it I had told Edward everything. I told him about the note, about Victoria, the Volturi. The only thing I didn't disclose was my location. I couldn't have him find me.

"No Bella, come back right now, we can protect ourselves from them we have done nothing wrong. You can't go now I know where you are going and I will get there before you can".

"Don't threaten me with sacrificing yourself in my place it won't work. I need to do this alone, if I am going to keep them away from you. They will never stop unless I do this."

The next thing I heard was the taxi driver beeping and shouting towards me.

"Hurry up love, I've got to go. If you don't come now then you will just have to get someone else to take you back to The Port Inn."

I nodded at him blankly and then began my goodbyes to the only man I would ever love.

"Edward, it's time for me to go now."

"No Bella. Just come home to me I will look after you I swear."

"I really need to get this done Edward, for all our sakes."

Bella please don't I love you more than anything," he sobbed.

"I know me too."

I put the phone down, hysterical convulsions raging through my entire body as I came to terms with the knowledge that that would be the last time I would ever hear my Edwards voice. I was leaving him to save him, and if I had to die to do that it was something I was determined to do.

I held back the fresh tears trying to escape from my eyes, clumsily got back into the taxi and made my way back to the airport and my ticket to death.


	7. Closing In

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Chapter 7 – Closing In

EPOV

Hearing Bella's cries down the phone I knew that I had to do something. I had a feeling she wasn't going to stay talking to me for much longer so decided to take drastic measures if I had any chance of getting through to her. I had to threaten her, in other words be cruel to be kind.

"No Bella, come back right now, we can protect ourselves from them we have done nothing wrong. You can't go now I know where you are going and I will get there before you can," I demanded, hoping that this little threat might make her see sense.

"Don't threaten me with sacrificing yourself in my place it won't work. I need to do this alone, if I am going to keep them away from you. They will never stop unless I do this," she responded. She really could read me like a book and knew what I was trying to accomplish.

The next thing I heard was a beeping in the background and I mentally honed in on what the man was shouting at my Bella.

"Hurry up love, I've got to go. If you don't come now then you will just have to get someone else to take you back to The Port Inn."

Yes thank god, I finally knew where she was. I didn't think that she thought that I heard so I decided to keep this new information to myself until the time was right. Then she spoke.

"Edward, it's time for me to go now," she stated blankly.

"No Bella. Just come home to me I will look after you I swear."

"I really need to get this done Edward, for all our sakes."

"Bella please don't I love you more than anything," I sobbed dryly. I was just about to beg once more when the phone cut off, she was gone. I held my ear to the receiver for the next few minutes, not wanting to admit that that phone call might have been the last time I would ever hear her voice.

All sense of hope began to fall out of me as I suddenly remembered what I heard through Bella's relentless cries. The taxi driver who was obviously waiting had blurted out loud enough for to me hear, where he was taking her, the Port Inn.

I had to plan this carefully. If I sped to Bella now it might scare her off even quicker. I had to bide my time and wait for precisely the right moment. There were only two ways this whole charade was going to pan out. Either I would get my Bella back safe and well or I would lose her forever. She would either be changed and forced to join the Volturi or worse die. At least if she were changed there would always be an element of hope, that one day she would come back to me or I would find a way of being with her. If it meant that I had join the Volturi myself I would, if it ensured that I could spend eternity with the woman I love. The second option, her death I didn't dare think about. I wouldn't let her die. I would get her back if it's the last thing I do.

By the time I had gone through all my thoughts and options I went to the living room and found my family all sitting at the sofas staring intently at me. Alice had filled them in or her part of the conversation already, now I just had to tell them mine.

I decided to refrain from going through all the mushy gushy stuff and just stick to plain facts. That was all any of them had to know. I didn't need to admit that I was falling apart inside as I heard her cry her love for me down the phone, they didn't need hear how I begged her to come home to me and they most certainly didn't need to know that it had finally dawned on me that I might actually lose her.

I sat down next to my mother Esme and began.

"Look guys, don't think, I don't want to be distracted. Just listen to what I have to say and then we can all decide what to do next."

Everyone nodded at me simultaneously.

"Right we don't have much time. Victoria has threatened to set the Volturi on us, telling them that we are close to revealing ourselves."

I took a helpless breath and carried on.

"She told Bella that the only way to stop her doing this is if Bella sacrifices herself to them. Bella is doing this to protect us, to protect me. I know where she is, she is in Port Angeles waiting for a plane. We need to go and get her now."

Jasper immediately rose from his seat and kissed Alice upon the cheek before sounding out to us a plan he had formed in his head at hearing my words.

"Well if Bella is on her way to Italy that means the Victoria is close by. She will be wanting to make sure that Bella has done as she was told. Charlie may be in danger if she is lurking around the house, so we really need to act fast.

Alice, Esme and I will go to Bella's house and protect her father whilst keeping a look out of course. Carlisle, Emmett and Rosalie you can try and enlist the help of the Quiluetes to help you look in the forest and surrounding areas."

Everybody agreed happily, especially Emmett and they were all up out of their seats and ready to leave when Jasper turned back to me and said with a smile on his face, "Edward now you go to Port Angeles and get your girl."

We both hugged and patted each other on the shoulders and before I knew it I was the only person left in the house. My whole family were now on a quest to help Bella and I sure as hell wasn't going to let her down. I ran as fast as my super speed would carry me out to the garage and jumped into the Volvo. Usually Volvo's wouldn't be my choice of car for speed but after the modifications that Rosalie had made on it over the summer there was no better option.

I was speeding through the town of Forks within 5 minutes of leaving the safety net which was my home when I had a sudden urge to drive past Bella's and Charlie's house. I knew everything would be fine with Alice and Jasper there, but I just wanted to be sure.

As I got closer, I slowed down. I wanted to see if I could see Charlie through the window, and sure enough I did.

He was slumped into his reliable recliner, rubbing the top of his head with his hand as he muttered something to someone. The next and last thing I saw as I passed by was Alice come into view and put her hand on his shoulder. It was then that the flood gates opened and he began to fit with tears.

At seeing Charlie just as heartbroken as I was, it became the forefront vision in my mind. Imagine if the worst did happen, either she was changed or died then at least I would have my family to console me or the release of death myself at the hands of the Volturi to be closer to Bella, but who did Charlie have. Once Bella, his only daughter was gone for good, what would become of him?

With these notions now invading every single cell of my mind a fierce feeling of determination and eagerness swept through me.

I was going to get Bella back, exactly the way she left. I had to, there was no other way. Being changed or death were no longer a conceivable option to me, and they would not be happening to my fiancée. If I was going to save her for anyone it was Charlie. By saving her I was not only keeping myself from an existence without the one I love, no matter how short that would be with my plans if she were disappear off of this earth, but I would also be saving Charlie from the same fate. Bella was the one person he lived for and he loved her more than anyone else in the world. There was no way I was going to let anyone take her away from him, least of all a vampire set out on getting revenge for something I did. I started this mess it was up to me to finish it, with or without anybody's help.

15 minutes later I was entering the highway and was one step closer to getting Bella back in my arms. I worked out that if I drove at full speed then it would take me half an hour maximum to get across Port Angeles and to the airport hotel she was staying in.

I had no idea what part of Italy she was flying into, what terminal it was leaving from or even what time it was. All I knew was that once I got to that hotel I would have a better idea of what to do next.

It had been less than 1 and a half hours since I spoke to Bella and I was at least 80% sure that she would be there when I reached her location. She was going to be there, wasn't she? I began to question myself instantly. What if she knew that I was aware of where she was? Would she have moved somewhere else? No, there was no way she would think that I heard the taxi driver in the background earlier, so that answered that question. Then another dilemma entered my mind. What if her plane had already left? What I do then? I answered myself aloud almost instantaneously. The only option would be to follow her to Volterra and try to get to her before they did.

I was now making my way through the centre of Port Angeles and if there had been no traffic it would have only taken me another 10 minutes to get across town and reach the hotel.

As I turned onto the main road which would lead me to her I was met by deadlock traffic and the road wardens now stretching up the length of the street told as many drivers as they could including me that there had been an accident further up the road and no one was to move or leave their cars until they were told they could do so.

I hammered onto the steering wheel so fraught with anger that I nearly broke it completely away from the dashboard. This was the last thing I needed. It was as if the gods were against me. They were playing a cruel joke on me that they thought I deserved. For the past 80 years I had lived a secluded and isolated existence fully aware that I would probably never find a soul mate. Then Bella came along. My life was centred on her and I realised that now I knew what love was I needed it too survive. I was the happiest I had ever been when Bella agreed to marry me, and now at this the greatest time of my life they decide to rip Bella away from me. This traffic jam that I now found myself in was just another obstacle the gods had set to try and keep me away from her. They underestimate me. I had promised Charlie, my family and myself that Bella would come home to us and I was not about to break that promise because of a measly traffic jam.

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	8. Departure

**AUTHORS NOTES – Thank you to everyone that read and reviewed my story. I have had a lot of readers favourite and get story alerts so I am a little disappointed that with over 1,000 hits now I still only have 10 reviews. This will definitely affect how fast I update. I am not feeling the encouragement to do it as fast as I was at the beginning.**

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Chapter 8 – Departure

BPOV

It had been just under 2 hours since I last spoke to my fiancée Edward. I knew in my heart of hearts that I would never hear the velvety voice for real again. Of course I would hear it through memories and hallucinations I was bound to have (just like last time) but I was set in the knowledge that that phone call would be the last time we would speak to each other directly.

I went over his words in my head, trying to sort out the jumble going on inside my mind. No doubt Edward would be trying to figure out ways to get to me. I knew that no matter how much I begged him to not look for me that he wouldn't listen. He had told me a million times since we realised we were soul mates that I was his life and without me he wouldn't exist. Deep down I knew he would try to get to me before I had time to get to Volterra. I needed to act fast and luckily time and fate seemed to be on my side.

There was now just under half an hour to board my plane to Florence. I had to leave the hotel immediately if I had any chance of making it on time, and with Edward probably in full pursuit trying to find the hotel I was at, there was no time like the present.

I pulled my bags up off of the floor and exited my hotel room, pulling the door behind me as I went. I got into the elevator and pressed the button for the ground floor. It would only take a minute to reach ground level but that was enough time for my emotions to reach boiling point and for my eyes to explode with salty pools of tears. I decided in that moment that when Edward finally got here, and I knew he would eventually, that I would leave him something, a final goodbye.

I walked over to the front desk, now with wet streaks covering both cheeks and got the ladies attention.

"Ex...Excuse me," I snivelled.

The woman looked concerned as she took in my face and listened to struggling voice.

"Yes madam how may I help you?"

"Ummm, I am Isabella Cullen and I am about to leave to board a flight to Florence."

"Yes Miss Cullen I can assure you the plane is running on schedule," she nodded.

"Oh well actually I was wondering if I could leave something with you. My fiancée might come here looking for me. If he does could you please tell him that the lamb will always the love the lion," I sobbed but thought it was the perfect message.

The woman whose name I saw from her tag was Beth looked confused at what I had said but smiled and accepted it anyway.

"Why yes of course I will pass that on. It would be a pleasure. Is there anything else you wish me to tell him?" She looked hopeful.

I looked down at my engagement ring and immediately decided that it belonged with him. After all it was his mothers and maybe one day he would find another girl who could spend her existence with him. As much as I loved Edward Cullen and couldn't picture him with another girl it was something he deserved and I was willing to give it up if it meant that he could again be in love with someone so much that he would want to give them his mothers ring.

I removed the ring carefully but quickly from my engagement finger and placed my lips upon it. I passed it to Beth and asked her to give it to Edward along with the message should he turn up and left the hotel, fitting in violent sobs that erupted deep from my chest and lingered at my heart.

There were now only 20 minutes left to board the plane and as the hotel doors shut behind me I broke into a sprint, headed straight for my terminal only a couple of minutes away.

After only a minute of running, blinded by my tears I slowed down in sight of my destination and decided to walk the rest of the way in an attempt to savour the last moments on the same soil as my beloved.

As I walked I could hear frantic beeping and sirens coming from the road adjacent to where I was. The accident which caused all the commotion and traffic didn't seem that serious, just a car crashing into a water hydrant. The worst injury I could see on anybody was just a small gash above the drivers head. Everyone else seemed fine apart from that. All the cars that were bumper to bumper though trying to catch a glimpse of what they probably thought would be some gruesome scene were disappointed at what they found but still slowed down enough to get a good look.

My mind suddenly went to Edward and relief shuddered through my body. If Edward had been hot on my heals and had found out just where I was this pile up of cars and trucks down the long main road was sure to hold him up considerably. I smiled at this thought knowing for sure now that I was going to get to Italy without Edward or anyone else getting to me first and endangering their life in order to save me. It was time I protected them and learned to look after myself.

Once I had reached the airport terminal I was supposed to go to, I went through check in within 10 minutes and without hassle. I found my seat on the plane and once in my window seat peered out to get my last look at Port Angeles. Edward would no doubt be close to finding me now, he was determined and it made me miss him even more than I already did.

Instinctively I cupped my left hand in my right and let the fingers on my right hand rub the engagement finger now devoid of its ring. I looked at my now empty finger, still with an imprint of where my ring used to be and vowed then and there that if I could not have Edwards ring for eternity I would not want anybody else's and would therefore never put a band on that finger again.

A voice suddenly came over the loud speaker and broke me from my thoughts momentarily. The passengers were instructed to put on their seatbelts and enjoy the flight. A stewardess then stood at the front on the plane and briskly went through health and safety procedures. All the while I feel like my heart is being ripped out as I feel the plane sore into the sky and my former happy life disappear beneath the clouds forever.

"Bye Forks, cya Dad, missing you already my family (the Cullen's), I love you Edward, forever." I whispered my final goodbyes as I looked out of the small window and bid farewell to clumsy, weak, protected Bella Swan and greeted confident, determined Isabella Cullen now the protector of everyone she loved.

EPOV

Thank god that the cars finally decided to disperse and let me get closer to finding Bella. An hour had passed and whilst sitting in that traffic getting more aggravated by the second I had nearly ripped the door off, bounded across everyone's car roofs all in attempt to reach my angel just that bit quicker. Just as soon as I became deadest on this plan the traffic began to edge forward and instantly I was able to drive at a normal speed again.

As I reached the hotel and parked the car, love hit me instantly. I was close to her, I could feel it, and her presence was so fresh here. I sped through the doors and bounded at full speed towards the help desk, only to be met by the most unhelpful, obnoxious, vain, self centred human I have ever set eyes on in my century of existence.

I banged on the desk with full force, almost breaking it in two, trying to get this guys attention. He was fully engrossed in a conversation over the phone, something about a date he was going on and gave me no awareness at all. It was a waste of time; if I was going to find Bella in this sorry excuse for a hotel I would do it myself.

I decided to see if I could sniff out her scent. I crashed through the hotel trying to get a hint of any similar smell in my nose and on my tongue. I was completely unsuccessful until I reached the elevator and the doors closed in front of me. I managed to get a faint scent of freesia and strawberries as I took a huge sniff and knew she had been there. I had to know which floor though and I knew exactly how to find out. As the elevator ebbed upwards I lowered my head to the buttons on the wall and sniffed each one individually. As soon as I smelt button 3, I jumped up and down, that was the one. Bella's scent lingered for hours and even if she hadn't pressed that button for a while I knew I would still catch her scent.

I got out at the third floor and after just a couple of seconds of tracking Bella's sweet scent I found myself standing outside room 23. My heart deflated, this was room she was staying in certainly but I couldn't hear her heartbeat. The rhythm of her heart sang to me like nothing else and even though I could still smell her as I entered the room I knew she was gone, never to return to this place again. Had I really been too late to save her?

I perched myself on the side of the unmade bed and ran my hands over the pillow which still had a dent in it from where her head had rested upon its surface. My emotions were taking over me quickly trying to accept the fact that maybe I had indeed lost her forever.

I looked down at the waste paper bin nestled on the floor by the bed and reached in for one of the tear drenched tissues which had been discarded inside. It smelt so strongly of my angel and I couldn't bare seeing this relic of her unhappiness. The bin was overflowing with wet tissues and I pictured Bella in this room just as inconsolable I was becoming.

It couldn't be too late to save her. I couldn't and wouldn't give up looking for her no matter how long it took. In an instant I was out of the room, down the stairs and back in front of the help desk. This time I would demand answers and would get them no matter what.

As I looked at the person behind the desk this time I realised it was someone different. This woman looked friendly and I was convinced before I even opened my mouth that she would help me the best that she could.

"Hello sir, how may I help you?" she smiled at me.

"Look I need to find Bella Swan immediately."

"Sorry sir but we have no one here by that name."

"What, I know for a fact she was here." I responded now completely confused.

"Sorry I can't help you."

Hope had completely left me and just as I was giving up and turning to leave the woman named Beth spoke again.

"Excuse me wait, there was an Isabella Cullen here but she left more than an hour ago."

My body felt like collapsing at this news, "Oh my god, I am too late." I whimpered.

"Are you by any chance her fiancée," she politely questioned.

"Yes, yes I am. Why? How do you know that?" I spurted out.

"She asked me to give you a message and this."

Beth held out her hand and cradled gently in her palm was Bella's ring that I had given just a few short days ago. I quietly took it from her hand and closed my fingers around it.

"What was the message?" I asked, sobbing tearless cries again.

"She said that the lamb will always love the lion."

Once these words entered my head, sure to be etched into my brain forever as a constant reminder of how much we loved each other I broke into another round of hopeless questions.

"When is her flight?" I murmured solemnly.

"Oh I am sorry her plane left half an hour ago we have a record of all times and departures." Beth responded apologetically.

"When is the next flight out to Italy?" I questioned again.

"Oh sir I do apologise but the flight Miss Cullen was on was the last from this airport for the next month. There is going to be maintenance and there are no planes flying out, although planes are still flying in to the one remaining strip. I am so very sorry."

What was I going to do now? As I silently made my way back to the car, Bella's ring still firmly grasped in my hand I started to go over the next course of action. I couldn't think what to do next. I couldn't get a flight out to Italy for a month and it would take far too long to run there, even though I was the fastest in my family.

Suddenly it came to me. Carlisle, he would know what to do next, he just had to. Once we had a plan my family and I would run all the way to Volterra no matter how long it took and by any means necessary, whether it be sneaking onto a boat or even hiring out a private plane to get us across the water. As long as it meant getting precious Bella back in our lives we would be prepared to do anything.

I raced down the now empty main road and closer to my family who surely must have been thinking of solutions as I went, Alice would have seen everything that happened and would have prepared everyone. Wouldn't she?

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	9. Homebound

**AUTHORS NOTES – Thanks everyone so much for some great reviews for the last chapters. This one isn't as long as some of my others but I wanted to keep the story flowing and felt that this chapter portrayed what I wanted to perfectly.**

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Chapter 9 – Homebound

EPOV

I was halfway back to Forks now and it would take me another 10 minutes after I got into town to make it back to the house. I was desperate to find out what my family had planned after hearing about what had happened at the hotel. Alice would have definitely seen it by now.

I pulled my cell phone out of the glove compartment still driving perfectly, and exactly on the speed limit. I switched it to hands free and then dialled home.

"Hello."

"Hi Emmett it's me. So what's the plan?" I requested.

"What are you talking about Ed? What plan?"He replied confusion in his voice.

"The plan to get Bella back you big ape." I screamed

"Sorry bro I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Didn't Alice say anything? She must have seen what happened at the hotel."

"No she said nothing. Hey she has just walked in, I will put her on."

Emmett left the phone without another word and just as soon as he was gone Alice picked up.

"Hi Edward. Did you find Bella? Please tell me she's alright." Alice begged.

"No Alice, she is not alright. Her plane had already left when I got there. I can't get another one out to Italy for at least a month," I fumed.

"Oh my god, I am sorry. I don't know what to say."

"Alice tell me that you saw it. You must have had a vision. You had one the other day remember."

"I haven't had a vision Edward. I don't understand why," Alice blubbed.

"It's ok we will think of something. Just get the whole family together I will be home in 10 minutes so I can explain everything," I responded.

I switched the phone off just as I was passing through Forks and began thinking to myself. If Alice hasn't seen anything then we have absolutely no idea of what is around the corner. Bella could be going through hell at this exact moment and I would be none the wiser. One thing I did know was that she was still alive for the time being, I was certain. If Bella was dead I would feel it, I would know without question. When her life ends so does mine. We are the same person.

As I drove up the path towards the house where I knew my family would be waiting for news I ran through some of the happiest moments I have ever had, and they all happened after I met Bella. That first day I met her, yeah sure I wanted to suck her body dry of blood but even then just the sight of her gave my life meaning. The first time we kissed each other and everything in my world snapped into focus. When I was listening to her sleep one night and she mumbled "Edward, I love you." And of course the most recent the evening that Bella agreed to marry me. I was the happiest man, (if you would class me as a man) who ever lived and I didn't doubt it for instant. Little did I know that just one day after that miraculous moment my lifeline would be ripped from me and I would be left in the spot I am now, getting out of my car, to face my family as we hatched a plan to save Bella, my Bella from a fate worse than death. Life really finds a way of sneaking up on you and biting you right in the arse and that's how I felt now.

As I walked through the front door and into the living room I noticed every member of my family sitting on the sofas, still and as cold as marble, before snapping their heads up in my direction as they saw me enter.

I stood in front of them, not comfortable enough to sit down and looked over at Alice who had her head in her lap and was being consoled by a sad looking Jasper. I knelt down and placed my shaking hand on her shoulder.

"Alice I am really sorry I snapped at you on the phone. I just really need Bella home, before it's too late."

"It's ok, it's not your fault, it's these damn visions. I feel like my brain has got low signal and my visions keep flicking on and off. For some reason the only vision I have had in months is the one about Bella in the hospital when Carlisle turned the life support machine off. I really don't know why or if I will have any more but I think it's time you called off all bets on me."

I stood back up and faced my family now all turned to Alice and thinking,

_Awww poor Alice it must be so tough for her._

_Yeah Edward give her a break. I know you miss Bella but don't take it out on Alice._

_I don't understand why she can't get visions anymore, _Carlisle thought last and then he turned his head towards me followed by everyone else.

"Now Edward, Alice filled us in briefly over the phone about what happened but we need facts if we are to plan anything," my father remarked.

"All anyone needs to know is that Bella is on her way to Volterra at this very moment and there is no quick way of getting to her. I think our only hope is to go there anyway, no matter how long it takes and pray that we find her in one piece."

I collapsed to the floor then, every ounce of strength leaving my body as I went over the last week in my head again. Esme and Rosalie were up in seconds and both had their arms around me, ensuring me that everything would work itself out in the end. How could they be sure? Without Alice's visions we were blind as to what was happening over in Italy.

Everyone filled me in on what they had been getting up to whilst I was in Port Angeles on my unsuccessful mission. Rosalie started.

"Well, Emmett, Carlisle and I went to the border and managed to get the attention of the pack. I told Sam our situation but he wouldn't help us. They are still very bitter over Jacob's leaving and they believe we are to blame."

"But don't they understand this is for Bella. She is friends with all of them. They should do this as a last gift to Jacob, saving his best friend," I seethed.

"I understand Edward and the others, especially Seth were ready to come and help as soon as they heard what we had to say. Sam disagreed though and when an Alpha decides on something for the whole pack they have to obey. You know that."

I just nodded grimly, losing myself even more with every passing second. Rosalie seemed to be finished so Jasper continued.

"The rest of us went to Charlie's house and everything seemed absolutely fine. There was no sign of any vampire activity in the house or in the surrounding areas," Jasper stated his tone becoming for sombre as he spoke.

"Then when we met back with Rosalie, Emmett and Carlisle we decided to do another sweep of the forest, right up to the house. It was then that we smelt her."

"What you smelt Victoria? Where? How old?" I said, fumbling to get my words out.

"The scent we caught was about 2 days old. We traced it as far as we could but it dissipated once we got to the ocean. She could be anywhere now. Emmett came back first, closely followed by Alice in case you showed up. After you rang Alice called us to come home at your request, otherwise we would have kept looking."

After hearing this I felt a strong incentive to go outside and sniff out Victoria for myself, a last ditch attempt to get any more clues. Just as I was about to leave with Emmett and Alice in tow I was strangely drawn to my room and had an immense want to go in there, almost as if I knew I would find something when I did. I told Alice and Emmett to wait outside just whilst I checked something in my room. I made my up the stairs and stopped in front of the door. As I hesitantly opened it and stepped inside I smelt a familiar scent. It was very faint, at least a couple of days old. That explained why none of the others had caught the smell, they would only sniff it out if they were in the room and with the door shut whilst I was away it was concealed from their noses.

Victoria had been here, but why? She did what she came to do, what more could she want?

As I entered the room and surveyed it I didn't notice anything untoward, that was until I turned around to close the door behind me and saw the reason my Enemy had entered my sanctuary.

I looked the message up and down, not fully letting what I had just seen enter my brain. I had to fathom this, so I closed my eyes tightly, shook my head from side to side and calmed myself. As I looked up and let my eyelids part I read properly for the first time the message that had been left for me.

Sprawled across my pure white bedroom wall in what I hoped was some kind of marker and not something more sinister was the following,

**Oh silly boy, you convinced your Bella to tell you of my plan. That is exactly what I didn't want to happen. No matter, it's all over. She is gone and soon you will die anyway. The Volturi have been informed.**

**Your old friend V**

As these words registered to me I couldn't do anything but fall backwards onto the bed. What did Victoria mean she is gone? Surely she is not d..., I couldn't bring myself to even think it and with all the strength I could muster I screamed two words at the top of my lungs,

"Carlisle, Everyone."

I sat back up on the bed still reeling from the words permanently etched into my wall when my whole family burst in, terror on their faces as they took in my expression.

"Victoria, I can smell her. She has been here," Rosalie shouted.

They all came towards me, not taking their gaze away from my eyes. Esme bent down, sadness engulfing her features and whispered,

"Edward, sweetheart what's happened. Please, you can tell us."

I tried but with no success to draw my parents and siblings attention to the new 'piece of art' behind them. All I could do was stare blankly over their shoulders and point at the far wall. As they registered that I wanted them to turn around, they did so and all at once let out an almighty growl.

**Thanks so much for reading my fanfic. I really hope you have enjoyed it so far. I know I keep saying this but please review it makes it all worth the time and effort it takes.**

**Be prepared the next chapter is where the Volturi become involved so expect even more action to come your way from this story. Enjoy.**


	10. Last Goodbye

**AUTHORS NOTES – Thank you to everyone who had read and reviewed this story. I love writing it and am glad you seem to love reading it. I will continue to update regularly (if I get enough reviews) and look forward to hearing what you think.**

Chapter 10 – Last Goodbye

BPOV.

I don't know how I managed to fall asleep on the plane, especially after everything that had happened and the thoughts and fears that were constantly making themselves the star visions in my mind.

As I slept through a lovely dream of me and Edward laying in the grass at our meadow I was forced back into consciousness when a hand started to nudge me away from my happiness and back into dark reality. I managed to open my eyes, still visions of Edward in my mind only to be greeted by a kind looking stewardess asking me to put my seatbelt on ready for landing.

"Sorry miss to wake you, but you need to put your seatbelt on. The plane will be coming into land soon."

I adjusted myself into an upright position, wiped my eyes with my palms in an attempt to become more focused and fastened the seatbelt around me. I fully expected the stewardess to leave as soon as she saw that I did as I was asked, but she didn't. I looked up at her confused as to why she was staring down at me when a huge smile emerged across her face.

"You sound like a girl completely head over heels in love. Awww, how I wish I had someone I could dream about like that."

"Excuse me?" I responded confusion engulfing my voice.

"Oh sorry. When I was about to wake you up I heard you mumble in your sleep "Edward I love you, of course I will be your wife" you sounded so happy." She giggled back to me.

I was just about to question what else she might have heard me say when she turned away and continued down the aisle, telling the remaining passengers to secure their seatbelts.

Only 5 minutes later and the moment I was dreading arrived quicker than I anticipated. The plane began to descend through the clouds and it took all my concentration not to hyperventilate and scream at the top of my lungs. I actually didn't mind plane journeys mostly. I could handle the rising of the plane into the sky, the turbulence sometimes because of bad weather, it didn't bother me in the slightest. The descent and landing though were a completely different story. Every time I travelled by plane and it reached this moment I was always convinced that the plane would crash onto the landing strip and I would meet my death.

As I thought this over I suddenly became very calm and relaxed. So what if I died now? I was going to die anyway once the Volturi had hold of me and this way would probably be a lot quicker and less painful. I was almost happy at this idea but that quickly vanished as the plane landed softly and skidded to a gentle stop on the runway.

I waited until every other passenger exited the plane in front of me and as I watched the last person leave the through the door I reluctantly pulled myself up and made my way down the steps.

As soon as I reached the tarmac I was approached by the same stewardess who had spoken to me on the journey.

"Hello again Miss, I hope you have a fabulous time in Italy and please say a hello to your Edward for me." She stated with a quiet laugh.

I looked up at her sadly, tears now freely falling from my tired eyes.

"Actually I can't do that. I don't think I will be seeing him again," and with that said I ran towards the terminal and into the nearest bathroom.

Once I had found an available cubicle I threw myself in and locked the door, not caring who could hear my sobs from outside. I perched myself on the toilet and lifted my knees to my chest, swaying back and forth. This was it, no going back now. I was further away from my family and my loved ones than ever before and would ever be again. I was now in Italy the country of my enemy and if the people I cared most about in the world were ever going to safe again I had to continue along my journey of self sacrifice, then I had to face the ones I loathed beyond all others.

I made my way out through the airport once I had my emotions under control and found out from an English speaking airport attendant that in 20 minutes time a coach would be leaving Florence for Volterra.

It was now or never. I pulled out a wad of 20 dollar bills and got them changed at the bureau de change kiosk. Once I had enough euro's I walked towards yet another desk and purchased a one way ticket to Volterra. The coach was leaving in just over 5 minutes and I had to run at full sprint to meet it in time. As I caught the monstrous vehicle in my eyeline I bound towards it and bashed my arms against the door to stop it from pulling away.

Luckily the driver took pity on me, loaded the few items I had into the underside of the coach with everyone else's luggage and let me on board. As I walked through the aisle I saw the only set of seats left were at the very back. I meandered down the coach and sat down, my head now resting against the window. At least sitting here people won't stare when I eventually started crying again, I thought. It was inevitable.

The coach journey took almost 24 hours with a couple of stops so people could go to the bathroom and grab something to eat quickly. I however did not move from my seat the entire time. I was now fully consumed with thoughts of what lay ahead and how my family would deal with the fact that I would never come back to them again.

I was just about to slip back into unconsciousness and hopefully right back into the meadow with Edward when something in the distance caught my eye through the window. Just up the road which we were travelling on I spotted the Tuscan hills and nestled right in the middle was Volterra, a place I never thought I would be stepping foot in again.

As we reached the tops of the rolling hills and made our way through the entrance into Volterra, my breathing hitched in my throat and I couldn't concentrate on what was in front of me. Flashbacks were clouding my vision and it was as if it was happening right there directly in front of me. This time last year myself and Alice had been parked in that exact spot as my 'sister' tried to convince a security guard at the gate to let us through. Once she had turned on the charm and handed him a roll of bills he let us through and we were one step closer to Edward. This time though as I passed through the gates, still with my head pressed against the glass of the window I realised I was not getting one step closer to my Edward but one step further away.

The coach pulled up just outside of the town centre and it was the middle of the night. Everybody bounded off, looking forward to a holiday where they could learn all the stories and legends about the ancient vampires who 'used' to reside there.

I grabbed my things, which had now been offloaded onto the street and slowly made my way to the square where I knew they would meet me. They must have sensed my arrival, I thought the Volturi were a lot of things evil, callous, and monsters but stupid was something they were not. After my last 'visit' they were attuned to my smell and would have been aware of my presence the second I crossed the city walls.

I continued walking but realised that I didn't know what street would take me to where I needed to be. That is when I remembered, the clock. It was what led me to Edward last time and would be what led me to 'them' this time around. As I hesitantly made my way along the cobbles following the ticking of the clock, I decided that this was the time to say my goodbyes; I might not get another chance. I had no way of knowing if Alice had seen what was happening now, or if she would hear my farewells. As far as I was aware she hadn't had a vision for over 5 months now but with that in mind I still knew that I wouldn't be happy until I voiced what I needed to.

Once I could see the square opening up in front of me as I reached the end of the cobbled lined street I leaned against a wall, shielded by shadow so I could not be seen. I took one huge breath, looked up into the sky and began to speak aloud the last words of love that would ever exit my mouth.

"Mum and Phil look after each other I love you both."

"Carlisle and Esme, you are my second parents and thank you for helping Edward become the type of person he is."

I was crying violently now but managed to continue as I must.

"Rosalie, Emmett and Jasper you are like the brothers and sister I never had. I love you all so much.

"Alice, my best friend and my favourite sister, I will never forget you. Please look after Edward for me."

There was only one person left that I had to say goodbye to and it would be the hardest goodbye I would ever have to make, but I did it.

"Lastly, Edward. You will never be able to comprehend how much I love you. You are and will always be my life, no matter how short if is now. I will love you in heaven and will always be with you in some shape or form. Remember me always."

I wiped away the last of my tears. I would never cry again. Edward was the only person who deserved emotion from me. The Volturi were not worthy of seeing me show any feeling, so I wouldn't let them.

I walked through the square, fully accepting my fate and stopped as I passed the fountain I had trudged through in my attempt to save Edward last year and stopped at the mouth of the alley, the exact spot where I found him. I suddenly felt closer to him as I stopped here, almost as if I was stepping back in time and into his arms. It was then that I saw her.

As I squinted my eyes and peered into the darkness I was met with a set of crimson red eyes burning into me.

Jane stepped out of the shadows and settled dead in front of me so I could not look away from her. She nudged forward as close as she could, so close that our noses were almost touching.

I tried to turn away from her, disgusted at the way she was leering at me when she grabbed my face with all her strength, breaking my jaw in the process and forcing me to stare into her eyes.

I screamed in pain. The last time I hurt this much was when James broke my leg in the Ballet studio. There was always a glimmer of hope in the back of my mind then that if I kept screaming Edward would find me. This time though Edward would not come, so I stopped my screams and stared straight back at Jane, traitor tears staining my cheeks.

She leaned her head towards my hair and took one huge sniff then sighed and said in the coldest, most hate filled voice I had ever heard,

"Wow Bella, your scent is more intoxicating than I remember. I so can't wait to taste the liquid flowing through those frail veins of yours."

"Do what you want." I moaned the pain from my jaw as I spoke, making me feel dizzy. "Just leave my family and especially Edward alone."

She looked into my eyes for a moment obviously not wanting to give me an answer, that's when the panic hit me.

"Why won't you answer me? If you have hurt any of them, I swear to god. Victoria promised she would leave them alone." I screamed in her face and somehow was able to pull myself free of the grasp she was still holding on my face.

I stood facing her and started pounding on her chest in anger and hatred. She got really angry at me then and I regretted my reaction instantly. Without another word she grabbed me round the neck and threw me to the floor. I screamed in pain once again, definitely a broken rib causing my outburst and cowered away from her approach. She pinned me to the spot, both her legs on either side of me, making my chance at escape impossible. Jane then laughed in my face, held onto my arm and pulled me up and onto my feet. Before I could even register the pains going through my body and the fact that I was upright again, she secured my hair in her hand from behind and dragged me into the darkness of the alley.

My time had finally come to an end and with a huge exertion of energy I screamed at the top of my lungs, "Edward, I love you."

**I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter. It was the most violent one I have written so far and took a lot of effort to get it on paper the way I pictured it.**

**Please review and let me know what you think. Also remember the link for the official New Moon Trailer shown at the MTV Movie Awards on Sunday is on my profile page. Enjoy.**


	11. Visions

**AUTHORS NOTES – I enjoyed writing this chapter. It concentrates a lot on the Cullen's and what they are making of the situation that is playing out. I was planning to do the whole story in Bella and Edwards point of view but as I decided early on after putting Charlie's perspective in chapter 4 I have come to the conclusion that if you some different povs it can make the story flow better. With that said, the first half of this chapter is in Alice's point of view which I think works well. The rest is in Edwards.**

Chapter 11 – Visions

APOV

As me and my siblings, along with our parents stared at the message on the wall I felt my insides begin to burn with rage and fear. How could I let someone do this to my best friend and to my favourite (don't tell Emmett) brother.

We all turned to face Edward, now a faint shadow of the person he used to be. When we lost Bella it was like we had lost him as well and without her none of us could fathom how we were ever going to ever get Edward back the way he was. His life is Bella, without her he cannot function or even exist and as we all looked down upon him it dawned on us that if she died because of this then he would die along with her.

Ever since finding out about my human life my mind has slowly become consumed with finding out more about my past. Eventually it was nearly all I could think about. I had been in an asylum during my short human years all because of the 'strange' preconceptions that I used to visualise in my head. It was this that I carried through with me when I became a vampire and it was the one thing that linked me to my past. When I realised this, it was as if my body was protecting me from my thoughts and from my mental abilities by severing the ties I had to them. Ever since Edward, Bella and I returned from Volterra I have not had even one vision, well that was until one came bursting into view only a few days ago, soon after my best friend in the world went missing. It was Bella in a coma and having her life support machine was being switched off. Maybe she was the key to getting my visions back. Perhaps if I could keep my mind completely on Bella then something else would come to me. I had to try, for her, for Edward, for all of us.

The next day Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper and I had decided to train outdoors ready for what we assumed would be a confrontation with the Volturi. We knew they would be on their way, they wouldn't let this lie.

Carlisle and Esme had gone to the border to try and convince the werewolves once again to aid us in our plight. We were fully aware that when, not if the Volturi came to see us then it would more than likely turn into a deadly battle and we needed as much help as we could get.

Everybody had a task to do whether it be training or otherwise. My brother Edward however was not in a state to help even himself never mind anyone else at this point.

Jasper and I were in a clearing close to the house practicing our defending techniques when the whole situation suddenly became too overwhelming for Jasper and he sunk to the floor in a state of misery.

"Jazz, what's wrong." I shouted fear running through my voice.

"Oh, Alice the emotions that are radiating off of everybody is getting way too much for me. I don't think I can handle it much longer."

"It will all be fine, you'll see. Bella is strong and tough and if she can survive this she can survive anything."

"Alice even though you can see the pain in Edwards face, it isn't even close to feeling what he is. He has been ripped apart. He is falling into the abyss and if we can't get Bella back I think it will destroy him," my Jasper cried into my arms as I wrapped myself around him.

"I think we should go back to the house for a while and try to talk to Edward. We need to tell him that everything will be ok, even if we aren't sure ourselves," I decided.

We made our way out of the clearing and back towards the house hand in hand. I couldn't bare to see Jasper this way and I knew that what I was feeling because of Jaspers pain could not even compare to what my brother was going through. I switched all my thoughts over to Bella trying with all my strength to pull a vision through my mind.

I continued like this all the way back to the house and luckily I started to see things. It was working; keeping all my energy locked on Bella was actually having results. Sure, they weren't complete visions just flashing images of her crying in a bathroom cubicle, sitting on a coach and walking down a dark alley.

As myself and Jasper made our way through the house and into the sitting room I decided that I didn't want to get Edwards hopes up by telling him what I had seen, at least until I had a full vision. So that he couldn't read my thoughts I started to recite the bible in latin.

We both sat down in front of him, our hands still entwined and then looked directly at him. Just the sight of my brother Edward in such termoil nearly threw me over the edge and words completely left me. Jasper could see I was close to breaking so stepped in and tried to console our brother.

"Edward, please Bella wouldn't want you to be like this."

"What, do you know Jasper? Bella could be dead right now and it's all my fault. I promised I would keep her safe and I couldn't. I should be the one sacrificing myself for her not the other way around," Edward sobbed dry tears into his hand.

As I witnessed this tragic scene going on before me the anger I felt for the Volturi and Victoria for doing this suddenly reached boiling point and something clicked into my brain. My mind was suddenly overflowing with images until it ultimately stopped on one, a vision that was going to make everyone feel a whole lot worse.

EPOV

My brother and sister were doing their best to try and make me feel better, they were failing miserably. How could I ever feel better? From what Victoria's message suggested Bella could already be dead and the Volturi were coming to take down the rest of us. I almost felt relieved at this thought. Hopefully the Volturi would set their sights on me and leave my family alone. If they killed me then I could back with Bella and everything would be right again.

As I was pondering over what I was going to do when the Volturi arrived to ensure this happened my brother Jasper looked over at Alice and shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Alice, Alice? Oh my god Edward, I think she is seeing something."

Just those words pulled me up from the brink and before I realised what I was doing I found myself crouched in front of my now blank faced sister.

I put my hands on her knees looking into her vacant eyes and almost screamed,

"Alice. What can you see? Is it Bella? What's happened to Bella?"

Alice didn't respond and just as I was about to fire another ambush of questions in her direction I noticed her suddenly turn her head towards me and the first thing I spotted was the sadness engulfing her eyes as I looked on.

Jasper could see and feel the pain she was in, so with all the strength he could muster he tried to send waves of calm through her body and into her mind. It didn't work and she was getting more and more miserable as every second went by. I couldn't stand the silence. I needed answers. It was then that she put her shaking hand on my shoulder and spoke.

"Edward it's too late."

"What do you mean it too late?" I screamed subconsciously not wanting to hear what she going to say.

"Bella is there, in Volterra," Alice sobbed.

She could no longer speak without her voice breaking on every word. That is when I decided to find out for myself. I concentrated on Alice's thoughts and saw the vision for myself.

Bella was in the main square exactly where she found me last year. Thank god she was safe. She was still alive it brought me hope, until. Oh no, she has spotted something in the dark. I was speaking aloud now. All my family had arrived and were listening intently to every word I was saying.

"It's Jane." I cried. "She has grabbed Bella by the hair and is dragging her into the darkness. She must be going to Aro or Caius."

The vision in Alice's head were starting to flicker away until all I could see was Bella's kicking feet being engulfed by the darkness as she was pulled away. Just as I was going to remove myself from this vision and fall back into another endless inner turmoil I heard Bella scream in Alice's mind. "Edward, I love you." At hearing these last words from my angel there was only one thing I could say in return. "I love you too Bella."

I sunk to the floor as my parents ran to my aid. Carlisle lifted me up onto the sofa and as I reran Bella's last moments through my head I could faintly hear the conversation my family were having beside me.

"The wolves still won't help. Sam doesn't seem as hesitant as before, but he still won't agree to fighting with us." Carlisle whispered away from me.

"I swear, when I see those Volturi I am going to rip them to shreds. How dare they hurt my little sister?" Emmett bellowed whilst being consoled by Rosalie, now overcome with tearless cries herself.

I sat as still as rock, my head in my hands. I was completely overwhelmed with grief and horror. I agreed with Emmett, I would butcher Victoria and the Volturi for what they done to my fiancée. They were going to pay for this if it was the last thing I did.

10 minutes later and I was still in the exact same position on the couch when Esme, my loving and caring mother came to my side. She wrapped me in her arms and I melted into them. I loved her so much, just as much as if she was my real mother and it pained me to be causing her so much anguish. Surely the sight of me in such a way was making her feel so much sadness, but I couldn't help it. As I shook against her chest all I could think about was my Bella being dragged by her long, luscious, mahogany hair into the alley and closer to our enemy. I had lost her forever, I was sure of it and it was when that realisation hit me that I let out an almighty growl and tore up to my room, shutting the world away behind me.

**Hope you liked it. PLEASE review. Just click the little button below. It won't take long. If I get more reviews I will write a lot faster and as an incentive for you I will let you into a secret. Edward will at some point have Bella back in his arms again. It is only 4 chapters away and if you want to find out how then REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW.**


	12. Not To Plan

**AUTHORS NOTES – Thank you so much for some great reviews. I love reading everything you have to say. It makes my day when I read them and hopefully you will review again as the story continues.**

**Enjoy this chapter. It is pretty intense but is all the better for it. In the next couple of instalments there is going to be a lot of action, a whole lot of screaming and maybe even a werewolf or two thrown into the mix so prepare yourselves.**

Chapter 12 – Not To Plan

BPOV

As Jane pulled me through the dank and winding underground corridors the pain I felt in my jaw became overwhelming. My legs buckled beneath me and I couldn't move a step further. Jane noticed my distress, so threw me to the ground and sighed in exasperation. She removed her hand from the back of my head and tossed a huge clump of my hair on to the floor below. I looked at the mass of tangles in confusion. I hadn't even realised she had been pulling so hard. The pain in my face and the rest of my body blocked it out completely.

Just as I was about to lose consciousness Jane walked around to my feet and sneered at me as I pulled my eyelids open to witness what she had planned for me next. She leaned over me, slapped me across the face, causing me to scream in agony, pain even worse than when I was in the ballet studio being tortured by James. She then proceeded to lift my feet up into the air, holding them in a deadlock, then turned away pulling me across the wet, greasy earth and closer to what I knew would be death or change.

As we approached a familiar room, the same room that I was confronted by the Volturi last time I was here, my entire body became numb and I couldn't feel a thing. The injuries I had sustained in the last 20 minutes both in the square and whilst being pulled by my legs through the underground walkways had left my body in such a state that my mind had to cancel out the feeling of pain, if it even had a chance of survival.

I could hear Jane opening a door and felt as she pulled me through and left me, alone and dying. I knew now where I was. I could feel the eyes of my enemy burning into even though I wasn't quite ready to look at them myself. It was now or never, I needed to say a few things and if I just lay here, a weak victim then I would never get a chance to tell them what I thought of them.

With that said I managed to gather all the energy I could muster, I don't where it came from inside of me but it was enough that I could get to my feet, unsteadily of course but I was standing none the less.

It was same room where Alice, Edward and I were taken to last year. The same place I had to watch my Edward writhing in agony in a failed attempt to keep the pain away from me. I mulled this over as I looked up at the faces boring into me.

The first 'person' my eyes processed was Jane sniggering quietly to herself as she looked me up and down eyeing all the damage she had just done. Second I saw another figure standing to Jane's side. They wearing a hood so I couldn't tell who it was, not doubting though that I had more than likely come face to face with them before.

Finally and most certainly not saving the best until last I saw Aro. He was also observing my 'wounds' and what looked like a smile edged onto his face. He began to fidget on his feet which made me think. Vampires have no need to move, they can stay absolutely still indefinitely. This could only mean one thing, he was about to do something.

Before I even had a chance to process this last realisation Aro began his approach. He stopped less than two feet away from me and that's when the panic and hyperventilation set in. My once happy life with Edward and my family was soon too come to an end and the only thing that gave me any comfort was knowing that they would be safe once this was over.

I refused to let my eyes settle on Aro once again as the terror began to take hold. I had never been so scared in my entire life. Instead I looked around the rest of the room and noticed that Aro, Jane and the other cloaked figure were the only ones in the there apart from myself. When I was in this spot previously the whole guard had been present, in fact every member of the Volturi had been there from what I could remember. There was definitely something not right here. Why were they the only people watching this happen? What was keeping everybody else so occupied that they would want to miss the death of a human?

With that quandary still running through my head Aro took one step even closer to me. I looked up suddenly as I became aware of his movements and knew my fate was sealed. He took one big sniff and said in the most spine tingling voice I had ever heard,

"Oh Bella, how nice of you to grace us with your presence once again. I must say your scent is just as desirable as it was last time you came to visit, if not more."

Jane moved to his side, shaking with laughter at his words as she did so. It was time this ended. I had had enough of the polite pretence and I just wanted this over. The pain I was feeling earlier began to ring through me again as the numbness subsided and it took all my strength not to collapse onto the floor at Aro's feet.

"Look can we get this over with. I have done everything that has been ordered of me. I am sacrificing myself. Just end it now." I begged breathlessly.

"Dear Bella, don't look at it as sacrificing yourself, look at it as helping a friends plan come together." Aro and Jane laughed as he said this.

How dare he say he was a friend of mine? I hated him along with Victoria and the rest of the Volturi more than any other. They had threatened me and my family on more than one occasion and I couldn't hold in my anger and hatred a moment longer. I screamed as loud as my voice would let me,

"Friend, friend you say, you will never be a friend of mine. Now do what you want with me and leave Edward and everyone else alone," I sobbed.

"Actually girl I don't intend on doing anything with you personally."

I stared at him in confusion, what did he mean he wasn't going to do anything with me? Oh I understand, he said he wasn't going to do anything personally. I was still going to die but not by his hand. So if not his then whose?

I looked on as Aro and Jane mirrored each other movements and glared to the still cloaked figure to their left. Aro gestured for the 'person' to join him and Jane and then stepped to one side so the mysterious figure could take centre stage. I guessed then that this was the person who was going to end it all.

Just as I was about look away and mentally prepare myself for my demise I spotted the hood move backwards slightly as a delicate pale hand pulled it back. My eyes widened as I looked upon the head of hair that this vampire possessed. I knew immediately who it was without even having to look at their face. The long, wavy thick hair could have belonged to any female. It was the colour that meant it belonged to only one person. The flaming red that clouded my entire vision screamed one name and one name only to me, Victoria.

As I took in the sinister expression that covered her features, any strength or energy that I had managed to keep hold of left me and in that one instant I sunk to the ground in a fit of shakes and crying, envisaging the reason why the rest of the Volturi were really gone. I knew deep down. I knew they were going to Forks. They were going to kill my family anyway. I was just a distraction.

"Victoria, you said you wouldn't hurt them. You said that if I did this then they would be spared."

"Yes indeed I did but you see that small diversion on my part was just a smaller piece of the big plan. You see I have been sorting this for a while with Aro and Jane here. We needed to find a way to get the Cullen's under our control and guess what we came up with."

I just stared on, my eyes filled with tears. Although I knew what was now going to happen back home I couldn't admit it to myself and if I said it out loud it would become undeniably true.

"We had to get you here so we could use you as bait to get Alice and Edward to join the Volturi." Victoria bellowed.

"Leave them alone. Please just leave them alone. You have me, do whatever you want with me, just let them be," I sobbed uncontrollably.

Aro and Jane looked over me as I hugged my legs to my chest trying to find any way to stem the screams that were now escaping from my mouth.

"What would I want a pitiful human like you in my coven for? Victoria can do what she wants with you, I really don't care. All that matters is that I get Alice and your ever so precious Edward to join me," Aro spat in disgust.

Victoria licked her lips. Obviously marvelling at the thought of tasting my blood. I tried to beg once more, already knowing that it wouldn't work. I had to try and continue to try to save them as long as I was alive.

"Please, please I beg of you, I will do anything. Don't do this, leave them alone," I bellowed.

They all looked at one another in unison and broke into a fit a sadistic sniggering and then Jane spoke, the final words I would ever hear her say.

"Aro, Victoria I think it's about time that this little leach was taught a lesson for screaming at us. Then it's back to Forks and a little reunion," she smiled.

The others agreed at these words and Aro and Jane left, leaving Victoria and I alone for the first time.

Without a moment's hesitation she swept me off the floor and slammed me into the stone wall in front of us. I let her do what she wanted without struggle. I was now in more pain physically and emotionally than I had ever been previously and more injuries just adding fuel to the already igniting fire inside me. I could feel no more pain no matter what she did to me.

As she grabbed me around the neck and pinned me up against a pillar in the centre of the room I didn't react and just let her do what she wanted. I focused on my angels face, the last time I saw him as he dropped me off home and as it flickers away I mentally said goodbye.

Black spots clouded my vision as I stared blankly towards the creature who was about to take my life when she stopped, violently tossed me over her shoulder and said in a normal, but all the more scary for it tone,

"I think it's time we took you home, don't you?"

The second she finished speaking the blackness took over me. I was dying, my life was over. The last image I saw as unconsciousness swiftly engulfed me was Edward and I on what would have been our wedding day. We would never get there and it was that solitary image that should have been a happy one, in another situation that took my last ditch effort to survive and I slumped limply as Victoria carried me into the light.

**Hope you enjoyed chapter 12 as much as I enjoyed writing it. Only 3 chapters now until Edward is back with Bella (in some shape or form) and if you review you will find out what happens all the more quicker.**

**Go on you know you want to. Just press the little button below. It will only take a minute and I promise it will be worth it.**


	13. Short Circuit

**AUTHORS NOTES – Thanks for the masses of reviews for the last chapter, which I only posted yesterday lol. Just reading all of them inspired me to update with the next chapter quicker than I usually would.**

**Again it gets pretty sad and intense in parts, but is worth the ride and is in my opinion a great chapter. Hope u like it. L x**

Chapter 13 – Short Circuit

EPOV

An hour had passed since I stormed into my room trying to escape the problems which I was going to eventually have to face.

I was staring down at Bella's petite engagement ring, it would never leave me. I had placed it on the small finger of my left hand so that it could touch where my wedding ring would have been placed on the day me and my tragic Bella would have been wed.

Just as I was about to break into yet another episode of sobs and screaming I was pulled out of my misery and dumped into hell. It all happened in a split second, one minute I was sitting in my room looking over the photograph that I had found in Bella's battered copy of Wuthering Heights and within five seconds I found myself answering Emmett's shrill screams and ran down the stairs as fast as my legs would allow.

"Edward, Edward she is having another vision," Emmett cried.

Was this vision going to be the one that let us in on the fate of the human we loved most dearly? I almost didn't want to know, but as I approached my sister sitting on the couch and still in a daze I came to terms with the fact that I was going to have to face it at some point.

Before Alice's vision had finished the whole family had gathered and looked very uncomfortable and nervous, even for vampires. Jasper sat at his mates' side as we began to notice her coming back into reality. She must have known Jasper was cradling her in his arms but as her eyes flickered open the only face she would look at was mine.

I was beginning to get agitated as was everyone else as Alice finally took her eyes away from me and gazed at the rest of the family in silence. Her eyes finally met Jasper's and that's when she whispered, even though we all could hear no matter how quietly she spoke, the words we had been dreading.

"They're coming."

"Alice, what the hell is going on? Just tell us, I can't stand this anymore," I screamed in exasperation.

She turned back to face me and without another moments wait she blurted out everything she had seen.

"The Volturi are coming. Aro and Jane don't seem to be there but everyone else is. They are going to the clearing and will be there in 3 hours."

"3 hours?" Carlisle blurted out. "That doesn't leave much time at all. We need to keep focused until then. At least we know where they will approach us from now and aren't blind of it. Thank you, Alice."

Alice just smiled and it was then that it hit me. What about Bella? Why hadn't Alice seen anything else about Bella?

"Alice, what about Bella? Did you see Bella?" I tried to stay calm as I spoke to her but everybody could tell by my voice how on edge I was.

My sister began to shake after hearing my words and said,

"Sorry Edward, no. I think she might be d....."

Before she could utter the dreaded word that had been haunting my brain since Bella left Alice slipped into yet another vision. Only 30 seconds passed and I couldn't take my eyes off of her, scared to the core at what she might be witnessing. I was losing the ability to keep control and as I was about to flip from the stress a seething gasp escaped Alice's lips. She refocused her eyes, once again settling on me.

The first thing she said as she rubbed her head was strange for all of us to hear.

"That was weird it cut off early. I don't think I will be having anymore visions. This is what happened last time they stopped. It's like a short circuit," she muttered, annoyed with her herself.

I analysed these words and laughed nervously. I had never felt so afraid in my whole existence.

"Alice, you said that you thought the reason they came back was because of Bella. So that must mean that if they have stopped then something has happened to her," I stuttered out, now being comforted by both Esme and Rosalie.

Alice nodded in my direction and I didn't think that either of us could continue. I had to know what my sister had seen. I needed to know how to deal with what was happening.

"Alice love, tell us what it is you saw," Jasper asked steadily.

"Umm. I saw Bella in the chamber at Volterra. She was being attacked by Victoria and she didn't seem to be struggling," Alice tearfully replied.

I couldn't bear hearing much more. I knew what was coming. Bella would only stop fighting when she thought it was too late. She was tougher than she looks and if she was giving up then all hope was lost.

"She was squeezing Bella around the neck until she began to black out then she threw Bella on her shoulder. The final thing I saw was Bella go limp and motionless as Victoria walked away laughing."

My whole family were either growling or having convulsions of dry sobs. I just stood in the spot, as motionless as a statue. Alice and I continued to gaze at each other through the mayhem that had ensued around us and just as silence began to take hold, Alice stood, wrapped her pixie like arms around me and said,

"I am so sorry Edward, Bella is gone. She is dead."

"No, no, no. You can't say those words to me. They aren't true." I shouted as I pulled out of her embrace and stepped away from my family.

"I can't believe that. Don't you see? She can't be dead because I am alive, if she were no more than I would cease to exist."

I crumpled to the floor and curled myself up in a ball trying to forget everything that had just happened. I had never lost it like this in front of my family before. Even when I thought Bella had committed suicide by jumping off the cliff. I had been alone then, so I could grieve on my own. This time I was surrounded by people who all loved Bella and who were all going through immense sorrow right now. I didn't want my parents and siblings to see me like this, but how could I not. I had lost my only reason to stay alive, if that's what I am.

As I pulled myself up off the ground and was met with sad and caring embraces of my family one last glance of hope came to mind. I had to see Bella again. I needed to know her fate for myself and I wouldn't be satisfied until I had done so. I refused to believe that the last I was destined to see her was that short goodbye as I dropped her home from school that day. Our love was too strong and constant to end on such a dull note. God had bigger things planned for the both of us, together and even though all seemed lost I had a feeling deep inside that mine and Bella's story was just beginning.

2 hours had flown by as we all began mourning our most beloved Bella. Then we all suddenly remembered, the Volturi. According to Alice's vision they were due in the clearing in less than an hour and now we had all the more reason to fight them to the death. We had done nothing to provoke their attack on us but they had done plenty to provoke ours on them.

We left for the clearing with only 10 minutes to spare and we all tensed for their imminent arrival. All we knew was that the entire Volturi guard would be present except for Aro and Jane. All of us at one point or another questioned their absence but there were more important things to worry about than that. For me it was getting revenge for what had been done to Bella and I am sure without having to ask that that is what my family's motivation was also.

With only 5 minutes until our enemy's 'visit' we all stood in a line and got into defensive positions. The first sign that they were getting close was the sound of breaking twigs underfoot as they moved closer towards us. A human would not have been able to hear their advances yet but we certainly could. It was then, as I went over the events of the last 3 hours in my head that the thoughts of someone unexpected entered my mind.

_**Now everybody listen up. Jane and I will take control here. You all walk behind and let us deal with the festivities. I am sure it won't last long. The Cullen's will be in such a state now over that pathetic human that they will be no match for us**_

As I cleared my head and growled at Aro's thoughts my head turned to Alice on my right hand side.

"Alice, Aro and Jane are here. I thought you said they wouldn't be."

"Edward, you know my visions are subjective. They must have been planning to stay away and then changed their minds."

I looked away from my sister and back towards the trees where we knew they were going to enter the clearing. I felt no remorse for what I had planned for them. Yes I had spent my whole life as a vampire trying to stop myself being a monster, but what good did that do. Just when I was finally becoming happy after so many years alone these monsters took my reason for happiness away from me forever. That was one situation I wasn't going to let slide.

Taking one last glance at each member of my family I couldn't help but notice the sheer look of determination shrouding the entirety of their features. They all wanted the Volturi and Victoria to pay for what had happened and it was whilst looking at those faces that I felt strangely proud, proud that I was a Cullen and proud that I could call this coven of vampires my family.

Almost instantly and before I had even gotten over my last thought I heard every member of the family growl from deep within their chests. I turned to face the source of their anger and it when I looked through the darkness and shadows that the first line of the Volturi entered the clearing and began their murderous approach towards us.

**So what do you think? Review and let me know. Sorry about yet another cliff hanger I couldn't help myself. It was a perfect way to end it and set up for the next instalment.**

**By the way there is now only two more chapters until Edward sees Bella again so if you want to read it soon then get reviewing. The more reviews, the quicker the chapters.**


	14. Control

**AUTHORS NOTES – Thank you everyone for some amazing reviews for the last chapter. Please keep them coming. **

**I think that after 13 chapters it is about time I added a disclaimer so here it is.**

**Disclaimer – No I don't own Twilight or its characters. Steph Meyer does. I mean seriously do you really think that if I owned Edward Cullen I would share him with any of you, hell no.**

**Anyway enjoy.**

Chapter 14 – Control

EPOV

As my family and I watched our enemies approach us from the other side of the clearing an immense feeling of hatred and a want for revenge rushed over me. The only other time I felt this way was when I was approaching the Ballet Studio. I knew Bella was hurt and that James was to blame. I wanted to rip him limb from limb and see him burn. This is the way I felt now, but this time it wasn't just one creature I wanted to suffer but a whole coven, and I would make sure that happened.

Aro along with Jane led the rest of the guard towards us slowly but smoothly. They all wore black cloaks but it was very easy to decipher who was who. Aro was very tall and slim whereas Jane was overly small, almost childlike in a way.

Jane decided there and then it was the right time to pull her hood back and have a look at the vampires she planned to rid the world of, us. She was standing not 4 feet away from me and as I caught sight of the sinister smirk pulling at her mouth I launched. This 'thing' was what hurt my Bella and pulled her into the darkness. She had broken her jaw, slammed her against the floor. I pictured it all again in slow motion as my body edged closer to hers. I wasn't just going to let her get away with what she had done. I had no care for my self preservation anymore. Bella was gone and I didn't care whether I lived any longer, as long as I taught this creature a lesson I would be satisfied.

A split second after I began my attack on Jane I was being pulled back into my original place by both Emmett and Jasper. I used every effort and all the strength within me to try and pull away from them and continue my pursuit, but it was useless. Emmett was stronger than the rest of the family put together and I knew it was a wasted effort trying to get him to release me any longer. I gave up and went limp in his arms. I couldn't bring myself to look back towards the vampires who had destroyed my lifeline, I knew that if I did I would be right back attacking them again and I need to remain poised if I was to get any answers.

I remained facing the ground as I spent the next 5 minutes listening to the quiet cackle come from the opposite side and the intense growls coming from my own. To break the awkwardness and get 'the festivities' under way as Aro had put it, Carlisle stepped forward between the two opposing covens and began proceedings.

I looked up as my father (for all intense and purposes) stopped directly in front of the Volturi leader and spoke. It was with his first outtake of unnecessary breath that I hung on every word, desperate for answers as to my darling Bella's fate.

"Aro, what a surprise. What brings you here to Forks?" Carlisle began, acting as if he was none the wiser.

"Carlisle you know very well why we are here I am sure, what with little Alice 'batting' for your side." Aro murmured confidently.

"I can assure you I do not. Alice as been having blocks in her vision as of late."

"Oh we are so sorry to hear that, aren't we Jane?" Jane just nodded slightly, keeping her wicked gaze fixed on me.

"Well a source tells me that you and your family are intending on revealing your true identities," he questioned in what seemed to be a tone of true interest.

"Aro you are one of my oldest acquaintances. Do you really think any member of my family would risk doing such a thing?"

"Carlisle I can tell by just looking at your eyes that you are telling the sincere truth and I solemnly apologise for my accusations, truly."

I looked at my family's faces at that moment sheer confusion engulfing every one of them. Then I looked towards Aro and I listened to the questioning coming from my family's minds.

_**Why is he giving up so easily? – Jasper**_

_**There is no way they would come all this way to give in so soon – Rosalie**_

_**I don't get it. This is messing up my head – Emmett**_

_**Oh, Carlisle please be careful my love – Esme**_

_**I can't help feeling that they are here for another reason – Alice**_

Once I heard this thought come from my sister I focused my eyes on her as she did me. We both knew she was right, but what was the real reason for their sudden appearance. I could only think of one, Bella.

Carlisle began to turn and come back towards us and Esme, when Aro reached for his shoulder and stopped his departure. My father looked back at the vampire in black and waited for what he had to say.

"However, don't get to comfortable; there is another small matter that we need to discuss." Aro practically sniggered through his lips.

"Concerning?" Carlisle asked indifferently.

At hearing the next words I found myself back in my brother's grip and was growling at the top of my lungs determined this time to get vengeance.

"Miss Isabella Swan, as a matter of fact," he responded in a normal tone.

"How dare you say her name?" I screamed as loud as my lungs would allow, all the time trying to get out of my siblings grip.

I managed to loosen Emmett's hold slightly as I punched him across the face. I regretted it as soon as it was done, but if it meant I could get closer to Aro and Jane then it was something that I had to do.

At seeing this Jasper, Alice and Rosalie still along with Emmett launched on top of me, pinning me to the wet ground. I had no hope of release now and it took all my strength just to lift my head out of the dirt so I could continue my verbal attack.

"Where is she? What have you done with her?" I sobbed along with my mother.

"Edward dear boy, you wouldn't believe what hard work she was." He was saying it almost as if he were having a conversation with a friend. That alone made it a whole lot more gut wrenching as I listened to him continue.

"She was screaming constantly, always crying your name, saying how much she loved you and forever demanding we leave you all alone. It was quite entertaining really." Aro bellowed with laughter.

I tried to picture it my mind. My poor defenceless Bella, alone and scared. She was hurt and in physical agony but still she was vowing her love for me and was still trying to keep me and my family safe. I didn't think it was possible to love her more than I already did, but thinking about the true measures she would take to ensure our protection made me realise that at that moment I had never loved her so much. I was about to break into another round of sobs as the pictures kept enveloping my thoughts when something Aro had said in his last 'speech' made me shudder from my core.

"What do you mean, what hard work she **was**?" I said through gritted teeth.

"If you have done anything to her I swear with everything that I am that I will kill you myself, and no amount of vampires will be able to hold me back." I screamed in utter disgust.

Aro looked down at me as I remained pinned to the ground by my siblings. He lent down, looking over my face as if I was something he had trodden in and spat out,

"She is no concern of mine now. She is all taken care of."

The anger and stress I felt inside me now was taking over and I couldn't remain still. I writhed under my brothers and sisters hold, still continuing with every last ditch effort to break free so I could slaughter these 'beasts' that had harmed Bella, my Bella. It was no use; they were just as angry now as I was and I could hear the shrill rumbling coming from their chests as they continued to hold me down. They were still seeing reason. If we all attacked then we would surely die and then we would never know what had happened to Bella.

I gave up, all my energy had gone and I couldn't even lift my head any longer. I trembled at thoughts of Bella and couldn't hold myself together, I was truly falling apart.

Esme, sweet, kind hearted Esme quietly urged my brothers and sisters to get off of me. She could see now that I no longer had the strength or resolve to stand, let alone attack the opposition. They did as she asked, and as they looked down at me, emotionally crumbling as I was they all began to console each other. Even Rosalie, the least accepting of Bella couldn't control her sadness any longer at thoughts of what could have happened.

My mother knelt down beside me as I lay on the ground clutching my head in my hands, then gently engulfed me in her arms and whispered into my ear,

"Control yourself, dear son. We all love Bella and this is not what she would have wanted. She wanted you and the rest of us to be safe, which is the whole reason she left. Please just stop this, for Bella and for your family." Esme cried as I melted into her hug.

I came to agree with Esme as she said this. I needed to stay strong for Bella. There was still a small possibility that she could be alive somewhere, no matter how small that possibility was. If by some miracle she was alive then I needed to survive if I was going to save her and I was determined that I would do.

I managed to get to my feet and was instantly consumed with love and understanding as my family launched on me with supportive hugs and kisses. Then Aro decided to break what comfort we were getting from each other by uttering the one sentence that was sure to get all our attention.

"Awww friends, it seems as though our last friends are about to arrive."

Aro and Jane turned as he gestured towards the trees. As he looked in the direction that these 'friends' would arrive everybody else followed in doing so.

I listened intently, blocking every sound out around me so that I could concentrate on the approach of yet more enemies. I heard a twig snap in the distance and peered through the fog. As I looked on, waiting for their appearance it was with a strong gust of wind coming from their general direction that my life suddenly snapped back into focus.

**Sorry about yet another cliffy but it had to be done.**

**Bella will be back with Edward (whether for better or for worse) yet, I am not willing to reveal, in just 1 chapters time.**

**It you want to find out quickly what is to come then there is only one thing you can do to ensure it. REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW.**

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter.**


	15. Help

**AUTHORS NOTE – So here it is the chapter you have been waiting for. Bella and Edward are in the same chapter again, finally. Don't get your hopes up yet though, this story is far from over. **

**Hold onto your seats, and get settled in for a vampire filled ride lol.**

**YOU CAN NOW VOTE 4 THE SEQUEL 2 THIS STORY BY GOING TO THE POLL ON MY PROFILE PAGE.**

Chapter 15 – Help

EPOV

The breeze which had wafted over to me so suddenly entered my mind and ensnared my senses with no hope of release. The scent that was carried on this wind which now affected me so hugely could have belonged to only one person.

At first I thought I was imagining things, I was so overcome with grief that it wouldn't have surprised me if I was having hallucinations. I tried with all my being to gather my composure, but as I did this, the scent just got stronger and stronger.

My eyes remained locked on the spot in the clearing where I knew that the two 'visitors' would be entering any moment. My family could see the confusion in my eyes and without thinking that Volturi might launch if they made any sudden movements they ran over to me, shaking my shoulders as I continued to stare, dumbfounded into the darkness.

Esme, my mother continued to shake me, trying to break me free of my statue like state.

"Edward, son whatever is the matter?" she spoke in a tone filled with worry.

I gathered my thoughts as I collected my voice, looking forward to the words which were about to escape my mouth.

"Esme, everyone I can smell her. I can smell Bella." I whispered triumphantly, my voice not allowing me to speak any louder.

"WHAT?" they all shouted in shocked unison.

All the worry and the stress which had caused me to become a shadow of myself in the last two weeks left my body just as fast as it had entered. My Bella was close by and that was all that mattered. I would see her soon and no matter what the Volturi tried to do to keep her away from me I would get her back in my arms.

As me and my family awaited our beloved Bella's imminent arrival in the clearing, terror gripped every single one of us once again. We could all smell Bella's scent now. I only smelt it sooner than the others because I am so in tune with it, it sings to me and is the best smell in my world. However, it was not only Bella's familiar scent entering our nostrils now. Another fragrance was travelling along with it, an unwanted scent and without even having to question who it might belong to, myself and every member of my family growled with batted breathe.

Only seconds had passed since the second scent hit me, but I still held onto the knowledge and hope that Bella was close by and within my reach. I needed to play this cool I thought. I was going to get Bella back this night, but if was going to do it without risking any further harm to her then my family and I needed to plan what we were going to do.

The trees rustled suddenly and even I had to squint my eyes to see the figure come into view. Her long red hair flowed down her back in a knot of tangles and her face; oh the face of the devil confidently looked over my families gaze. Victoria strode determinedly across the clearing before settling at Aro's side. As I watched her take a defensive pose just like the others I couldn't help but let one thought cross my mind. Where was Bella?

I stood, rooted to the spot and moved my eyes from Victoria's gaze and back towards the trees where she had entered only moments prior. Bella's scent was the strongest I had smelt it in a long time, she was bleeding and bleeding a lot. Was she dead? She couldn't be, not when we were finally so close to being back together. Before this idea had even a chance to engrain itself into my brain and forcing me to howl in despair, I heard something, faint sounding like it was coming from far away but knowing it was closer than it seemed.

Bella's heartbeat rang in my ears and I couldn't help but jump up and down with happiness as I acknowledged its presence. She was still alive, but only just. As I listened closely I realised something was terribly wrong. Her heart was speeding up and then slowing down so dramatically that it almost stopped. She wasn't going to last much longer.

"Carlisle, she is alive but we need to get her back, we need to get her back right now." I shouted this across to my father resolve searing every word as I spoke it.

We got back into our defensive stances, becoming fully aware suddenly of the Volturi's restlessness. I kept my thoughts on Bella and my ears listening for her heartbeat as it ducked and dived. I thought it had stopped at one point because it had become so slight; it was yet again up to my muscle man brother to keep me from sprinting into the forest and retrieving Bella myself.

"Oh dear Victoria, I believe there is no need to introduce you to the Cullen's, you have already been acquainted." Aro bellowed for our benefit. Victoria settled her crimson filled gaze at me as Aro said this and she nodded, with a face full of evil in my direction.

"But Victoria aren't you forgetting something? We came to trade remember?

Victoria tore her eyes from me and looked back at Aro, a lopsided smirk crossing her mouth.

"Why yes of course. I almost forgot." With that she went leaping into the trees and back towards Bella's heartbeat. I knew that I would finally see my fiancée soon, but the question was, was it to be for better or for worse?

Seconds later Victoria stepped back into the clearing and at this point I had Emmett and Jasper on either side of me, fully prepared for the fact that I might launch depending on what happened next.

As she got closer to Aro I noticed that she was hoisting a dark figure on her shoulder. This figure was not moving, completely still and they were draped in a dirt ingrained black sheet hiding the occupant from view.

I didn't need for the sheet to be taken off of the person to know who it was. I knew it was Bella and she was so still that she could have been dead. I would have thought that to be the case if it weren't for her still fighting heartbeat wrestling the rest of her body for a chance at survival.

Low tirades of growls were emitted from my fellow Cullen's as their eyes settled on Bella's lifeless form. No longer could they keep calm, it was becoming too much for any of us to bear.

"Now, can you please control your growls? There is absolutely no need." Jane uttered a slight air of amusement in her sentence.

"No need, no need, you have practically killed my sister and my brothers only love. There is every need." Rosalie screamed profanities at the opposing side after she said this. She wanted to finish this herself but with Emmett now holding her in his iron grip there was no chance that she would get even a foot closer and she slowly gave up.

As I continued to stare at the black mound lying at my enemy's feet I lost every ounce of physical standing once again and sunk to the floor below. Alice knelt down beside me and tried to get my attention by grabbing my chin and trying to pull my eyes from Bella so I could gain some composure for the next event. It was no use, my eyes were stuck on her and nothing and no one was going to rip my gaze from my angel. We had been apart too long and now we were so close to one another that all my mind and body would let me do is look and hope.

"Now listen, Cullen's if you want Bella back then I am willing to offer you a little trade. I will accept Alice and Edward in exchange for the frail little human." Aro offered nonchalantly.

"Never," Jasper and everyone shouted. Alice and I were the only exceptions to the protests. If it meant Bella would be safe then I was willing to give myself up to the Volturi and I am sure my sister was to.

I managed to pull together all my inner strength and pull my eyes away from Bella before looking up at Aro and responding tight lipped,

"Can we discuss this as a family?"

"Why yes of course dear friends." Aro said this like the situation which caused this conversation to occur was a daily happening for him and as my family huddled together and I thought about it I realised that it probably was.

As we got closer together in a circle formation I made sure that I was in a place that I could still see Bella. I wasn't about to let her out of my sight for anything.

Jasper spoke first; quite obviously speaking the words that nearly ever body else was thinking, Alice and I being the exception.

"Well I am not willing to give up Alice and Edward to them and I am sure you aren't either." They all nodded decidedly.

"I suggest we fight for our lives and for Bella's. It is the only chance we have, I fear."

As Jasper quietly whispered his plans to the family, so only we could hear, someone's thoughts entered my mind and for a moment or two I couldn't work out who it was.

_**Cullen it is me Sam, I know you can hear me. We are with you for Bella and because we want this filth away from Forks. Shout my name when you want us.**_

This last bit of help might be the thing we need to succeed. We all knew that if we ended up in a dual than no doubt more than one of us was going to come out of it injured or even worse, dead. We were all willing to risk it though, if it meant saving Bella and now with the werewolves help there was every chance that it may well work.

"Jazz, everyone listen. Sam just entered my thoughts. The pack and he are willing to fight with us to save Bella. They want the Volturi away from Forks and this is the best way to make it happen, we may just get out of this alive." I said, confidence beginning to ooze through my lungs.

Every member looked at me as I said this, then they smiled looked at each other and nodded, dtermined smiles embedded on their faces. Maybe we would get away from this without further harm to anyway we love.

"Right, now there is only one thing we need to do. Let's get Bella back."

We all turned back towards the Volturi and Victoria, our biggest enemies on this earth. It was with a huge growl from every one of us that we settled in a line ready to fight.

I took one last look at Bella, before the dual would begin and thought,

_**Hold on love, we will be back together soon. Just keep your heart beating, I love you. **_

With that final thought still ringing in my ears and my one and only reason for existence lying comatose on the ground in front of me, it was with a swift flick of the head and quick glance at my siblings and parents that we settled into poses of attack.

Someone was going to die here on this night, in this very clearing. I could feel it in the air as we edged forward. Who would that person be though? was the question. One thing was for sure though, I was not going to let it be Bella; I would save her no matter the cost.

**Hope you enjoyed it as I did writing it. **

**I know it is all very sad at the moment but just to let you know I am not one for sad endings, so keep that in mind. This story will end well.**

**Please again, I urge you to review. If you have already reviewed then please do it again. I like to keep track of who is still reading and has stuck with it. Let me know what you think. L x**


	16. No!

**AUTHORS NOTES – Thanks a lot for the great reviews for the last chapter. So here it is, as promised another quick update. Expect the next chapter online tomorrow and I hope you enjoy.**

Chapter 16 – No!

EPOV

I couldn't wait for all this to be over with. The confrontation with the Volturi, my family putting themselves at risk and most of all the fact that Bella was close to death made me shake with anger and disdain from the inside out.

There was now only 3 feet separating us from our enemy, but every step closer to them was also a step towards Bella and that made us all determined to carry on.

By the look crossing Aro's face as we got ever nearer to him I could tell that he thought we were too close for comfort. We suddenly stopped in our tracks as a deep growl erupted from both his and Victoria's chests.

In a moment of stupidity on my part I decided to test the boundaries and take one more step to see what his reaction would be. What he did sent fear through me and it was as he lent down over my love, exposing his teeth as he did so that we all stopped moving and went back to what I thought was useless negotiations.

Carlisle made his way back in between the two covens and into no man's land. He stopped directly to my left all the while making sure that he didn't block my view to Bella as he began the 'peace' talks as he likes to call them.

"Aro, we have discussed your demands and will in no circumstance let you use Bella as a bargaining chip to get hold of Alice and Edward."

Aro, Jane and Victoria all looked over us at the same time, puzzled looks on their faces. They expected us to give in without a fuss but what they didn't realise was that we had reinforcements and were prepared to fight for what we wanted if necessary. Well that is at least what we thought until Aro made the next comment sending every member of the Cullen family into a state of panic and hysteria.

"Why Carlisle, you and your family disappoint me so. Well how to proceed?" he questioned himself as he continued.

"A fight is all I can think will solve this little dilemma. How about one on one? Let's try Victoria against darling Esme shall we?" he sniggered.

Victoria immediately stepped forward as he said this but as Esme looked back at us as his words settled in our minds it was with a massive scream from my siblings, Carlisle and I that this idea was put to an end.

"NO!" we shouted at the top of our lungs, as we ran in front of Esme to shield her from Victoria's impending advance.

As I looked at Carlisle console Esme after the shock and terror she had just experienced I made a decision on my own which would definitely affect the whole outcome of this meeting. I stepped away from my family and stopped directly before Aro and my precious Bella still lying motionless on the ground below.

"Aro, I will fight whoever you want me to fight, as long as I can be sure Bella is safe and if not then this 'duel' as you call it shall be to the death."

I could hear my family behind me muttering protests quietly and my mother and sisters, sobbing faintly through closed mouths. It was so emotionally painful to hear my family's cries because of what I had just done but it in no way compared to the way all of us would be feeling if this ended badly and we lost Bella for good. At the end of the day what I was doing was the lesser of two evils and I was once again resigned to my unknown fate.

Aro didn't speak, but kept looking back and forth between Bella, my family and I. The anguish which must have been showing across all our faces must have been enough for anyone to have seconds thoughts about their actions, and it turned out that even Aro was feeling slight remorse for what was happening, no matter how small the amount. At the end of the day the Volturi were trying to keep the identity of all Vampires secret and once they knew that we were willing to fight them all, the secret had become dangerously compromised for all of us. So, the options for him were fight us and risk the human world finding out about our existence, or leave in peace and continue to live his miserable life along with the Volturi away from here and away from risk of death. Lucky for us it looked like he was choosing the latter as a look of resolution washed over him and he ended his huge charade.

"Look Edward, everyone I am a reasonable man. We came here with the sole purpose of keeping our true identities secret and if we were to fight you now then we would be putting ourselves at great risk, not only from you but the entire world's population." He comforted a disgusted faced Jane as he said this and then continued.

"I can see that you and your family have no intention of revealing it to anyone. Well anyone excluding Miss Bella. But not to worry we have already dealt with that little situation." He bellowed.

Horror struck me as he said these words. I knew they were close to leaving and so I tried to hold my tongue and to no avail. The words escaped from me, hatred and fear running through every one.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean? I swear if you have changed her or worse taken her away from me, I swear to god I will kill you." I screamed the last part to his face hoping that my reaction to his last statement would sink in and he could see that I truly meant business.

"Easy, easy this is not the Volturi's problem anymore. This is between you and Victoria. Keep Bella, but I will be keeping a close eye on her and if she is not changed by you, well that's assuming you still can after what's been done to her, then we will be back. We will change her ourselves and take you and Alice with us by force."

I immediately nodded in acceptance of these terms. Of course I didn't want to change Bella if she had another choice, after all as far as I was concerned there was always another option. I would say yes, get Bella back and then find a way of getting out of this without having to change her. Me and my family would be able to find a solution I was sure of it and it was with the other nods from my family across to Aro that he took one last disgusted look down at the black bundle on the floor, turned around to face his followers and lead them all including Jane back into the forest.

The wolves entered the clearing before even half of the enemy had gone out of view, making sure from afar that the Volturi were definitely leaving Forks and not trying to trick us into a false sense of security. Jasper placed a protective arm around Alice and just as the last of the Volturi were disappearing into the darkness he shouted,

"I'd like to see you try. You won't get anywhere near her if I have anything to do with it."

As my family and I let the events of the last 5 minutes sink in I was overcome with relief. Bella was still lying there in front of me. The enemy had left her behind and she was only just out of arms reach. I screamed her name and just as I was about to make my way over to her we realised that there was still one 'creature' we had to get through first, Victoria.

As she started sprinting towards Bella, trying to get to her first a crooked smile became etched on my face. Victoria alone was no match for all of us and I and all of my family knew that we could take her down in less than a minute.

She suddenly stopped to look at us, probably realising this herself and it was with that last lapse of her concentration that we took our opportunity to gain the upper hand.

Rosalie, Alice and Jasper immediately sprang on her, slamming her into the earth. Then with determination and aggression egging him on Emmett took a bounding leap, landing on her neck and snapping it in two.

Whilst this was going on Carlisle, Esme and I ran towards Bella in an attempt to try and shield her from anymore potential threats. Esme sunk at Bella's side along with Carlisle, both of them not able to bring themselves to lift the sheet until they had gained some control over their emotions.

As it dawned on me what I would find when Bella was unveiled I couldn't help but slow down, trying to hold myself together as I got ever closer.

I could still hear her heartbeat which pushed me forward, but it was even fainter than it had been before and that was not a good sign by any means. Her scent was still just as strong, but now had a rusty edge to it as the blood which obviously escaped from her veins due to unknown injuries began to dry in place.

I knelt down beside the love of my existence and two supportive hands suddenly landed on my shoulders, one from my mother and one from my father. As I looked more closely I could see the 'mound' which was Bella slowing inflate and deflate, she was still breathing on her own which meant I had a little time.

"Son, I can look over Bella and assess the damage without you if it is too hard. Your mother and I completely understand." Carlisle offered in a caring manner.

"No Carlisle. Bella is my responsibility and it is up to me to look after her and keep her safe now. Please can you leave us for a moment, I need to see her for myself first." I sobbed.

Carlisle and Esme stood up straight away, Esme lightly kissing me on the top of the head as she did so, then they walked away towards the now burning remains of Victoria so that I could finally have some alone time with my Bella.

I was in utter turmoil at this point, so scared of what state Bella was in, be it both physical and emotional. Then as I reached down and brushed my hand over her still sheathed body an electric shock, the same one that I felt every time I touched or even came close to touching her made all the worry leave and all I was filled with was love. My fiancée was back with me and that was where I would make sure she would stay.

One last unneeded breathe later, and less than a second to gain some courage I found myself reaching for the edge of the sheet at her feet and very slowly started pulling it back so I could finally look at my angel once again.

**Hope you enjoyed the chapter. I told you it was far from over didn't I? There is still a lot more to come in the final 7 chapters of this story, so if you want to find out what happens next then you know what you have to do. Press the button below and review please, please, please.**

**Go to my profile page and vote in the pole for the sequel to You Are My Life Now. The one with the most votes will be the continuation of this story once it is finished.**


	17. Breathe

**AUTHORS NOTES – Thanks for the amazing reviews I have received for the last two chapters although they are few and far between I must admit. Keep them coming, please.**

**Enjoy.**

Chapter 17 – Breathe

EPOV

As I pulled back the sheet which covered my beloved I began to tremble from the inside out. The first part of her body which came into view were her feet and legs, they were not blood stained which was a good sign. As I looked more closely, stopping momentarily to assess the damage, I noticed that her left leg was pointed in the wrong direction below the knee. It was definitely broken, without a doubt and it was at the sight of this that I let the first anger filled growl escape between my lips.

I continued pulling the sheet up slowly, conscious in the knowledge that her face would be the last part of her to be unveiled. She was facing the ground and as I lifted the sheet above her torso it was then that I noticed the blood staining her shirt. It had begun to dry in place but that in no way deterred me from the fragrance. Her scent was the strongest it had ever been for me, heightened because we had been forcefully separated so long. I took a big sniff as I continued to pull the sheet away from her lifeless body and this worried Carlisle who came running over. He took one look at me and knew just from my face alone that I could never bring myself to harm Bella no matter how strong her fragrance had become, and so stepped back.

I looked at both her arms making sure there were no bite marks. Luckily there were none I could see from my current position, but even though that was the case it didn't stop my stomach from rolling as I logged in my mind every cut and bruise that was now engulfing her delicate skin.

As I reached her shoulders and neck I took the same precautionary measure of checking her for any bites, again there were none to be found.

This was it, the moment I had been hoping for and dreading at the same time. I was finally about to see my Bella's face again but it scared me witless at the thought of what I might find. I was aware that her jaw was broken and this I was prepared for, but I had not seen what Victoria had done to her after Alice's vision stopped. I could only wonder and hope that the enemy had shown her some pity.

With a trembling hand and a fixated glare from both myself and my now surrounding family I whipped the sheet away letting it fall to the ground. As I looked over my Bella, now fully uncovered I couldn't help but run my fingers through her hair. Bella's face, I could tell was laying to the side facing away from me but was obscured from view by her blood matted hair, so it meant that I could not yet see the extent of her injuries.

My hands explored the back of her body, carefully and with the weight of a feather. I was memorising every part of her, terrified that I could lose her again at any moment.

She was just inches from death, yes her heartbeat had evened out, in fact this happened almost on the moment I touched her, as if subconsciously she knew that I was close by. However, it was her breathing that was worrying me now. It was ever so shallow and each time she paused for a struggled breathe I was convinced that the last breathe she had exerted would be the last.

I leant over my Bella, pressing my forehead into her hair, still with my hands encased in her mahogany locks and whispered erratically,

"Bella, Bella my love can you hear me?" There was no response as I said this. The silence which now shrouded the entire scene made me explode inside. What I wouldn't give to hear her melodic voice once more. I cried yet again, more tearless sobs left me after the existence of this notion.

I removed my hands from her hair and grabbed my own. I pulled at it so hard that if my hair follicles hadn't been as resilient as the rest of me then I would be completely bald.

Carlisle noticed my frustrated reaction to Bella's silence and he took that opportunity to turn her over onto her back. Before even looking at her I became completely aware of her blank face now in full view. As I looked at her I felt two completely contradicting emotions. Hatred because of the state she had been left in. If it wasn't for her dainty lips and some of the softer features peaking through the bruises, cuts and swelling then she would have been completely unrecognisable. One side of her face was swollen to almost double the size because of her broken jaw and a cut over her eye on the opposite side was quickly regarded as the reason for all the blood.

Love, that was the second emotion I was feeling. As I took in her presence my heart felt whole again and I knew that this feeling would stay with me as long as Bella continued her silent and inner fight for life.

Esme saw the sorrow building up within me as I took all of this in and quickly engulfed me in one of her signature hugs.

"What have they done to her Esme? How could they do this?" I murmured as I looked over my mother's shoulder and towards my siblings who were almost as inconsolable as I was. Alice and Emmett especially, looked like they were about ready to kill themselves and it was as Jasper noticed and began to remedy their negative emotions that there suicidal feelings slackened and they looked a lot calmer.

"I don't know son, but I do know that Bella is back where she belongs, with you and with us. Nobody can hurt her now."

I pulled myself out of Esme's grip and turned back to face the love of my life. As Carlisle continued his analysis of her injuries I suddenly became distraught and as I spoke I struggled to form even one cohesive sentence.

"Carlisle why won't she wake up? Please tell me she will be okay?" I managed to say after three failed attempts.

"I would love to reassure you Edward, truly I would but I can't be sure of the outcome." My father spoke hesitantly.

"But, but her heart is beating, she is alive." I questioned bluntly.

"Yes Edward, but her breathing is very faint and she is not responsive. She may have brain damage because she is struggling to breathe because of the broken ribs."

"Broken ribs? Her ribs are broken as well? I swear if I ever run into that Aro again it will be for the last time." I screamed.

"Son, one of the ribs has punctured a lung and I fear that if we don't get her to a hospital soon we could lose her."

I became stunned at this new information which had just been given when an idea popped into my head. Sure, Bella had begged me to change her in the past, but she was healthy and human and in my eyes that was always the better option. Now she is dying on the floor with no guarantee of survival. I couldn't risk her death and if I had to make her a vampire to keep her I would do it.

"Wait Carlisle, can't I change her?" I hoped as my siblings registered this and nodded eagerly also at my question.

Carlisle and Esme both looked at each other, sadness clouding their eyes and then Carlisle turned back to me as I gently rested Bella's head on my lap and said the words which left me empty.

"No."

"No? Why can't she be changed? It was an option last time." I asked as I lightly traced her face with my fingertips kissing her nose as I did so.

"Son, her heart and her body are physically too weak to survive the transition. Any venom which enters her system whilst she is in this condition will only kill her faster."

I didn't need to hear anymore I knew now what I had to do, and that was getting her to hospital as quick as possible. I pulled myself to my feet and in one swift movement lifted Bella into my arms, resting her motionless head on my shoulder as I manoeuvred her into a manageable position.

I looked over my family, sorrow and hopelessness filling every one of them. I stepped closer to them, unnecessarily so and began voicing out my next plan of action.

"Bella isn't going to survive much longer if we don't act now; we have no time to waste. I will get her to the hospital, you all go and find Charlie and I will meet you there."

Before I had even finished the last sentence I was running, running for Bella's life, running for my life. As I edged closer and closer to Forks I became aware of someone approaching me from behind. I was about to turn and face my follower when I heard his thoughts.

_**Edward it's me Carlisle. Keep moving we are nearly there. I am coming with you to make sure Bella gets treatment immediately and that you have someone to watch you.**_

Carlisle closed the distance as we spotted and sprinted towards the hospital entrance. I took one glance at him as we continued our approach and simply said,

"Thank you."

Carlisle and I burst through the entrance doors, Bella still unconscious and cradled in my now blood stained arms.

"I need a stretcher here now." Carlisle shouted to the nearest member of staff.

Before I myself could even register what was going on before me, Carlisle pulled Bella out of my arms and placed her on the waiting stretcher. I gave her one long awaited kiss on the lips as she was pushed away by the awaiting medical team and prayed silently that it wouldn't be the last.

I watched her being transported towards the emergency department and as she started to disappear from view and Carlisle put his arms around me I made one final request.

"Carlisle, I can't lose her, I know I won't survive. I can hardly bare to see her leave me, even now. You have to keep her alive, she is my life." I cried distraught echoes raining through my one tone voice.

My father turned to face me, as I felt myself being ripped mentally at the seams. He looked straight into my eyes trying to make sure that the words he was about to issue to me would sink in.

"Edward, I will do everything in my power to make sure she us okay. You need to be strong for her. She would not want you to give up no matter what happens. Just remember son, stay positive and I love you."

"I love you too, Dad," I vowed wholeheartedly. After hearing these not heard or seen enough displays of affection he pulled me into the tightest hug he had ever given me, and then turned and ran down the corridor, towards an awaiting Bella.

As I turned away, dreading the endless wait whilst Carlisle and the medical team prepared to bring back my love from the depths I took one quick look at my disappearing father and realised without an ounce of doubt that if anyone was going to save my Bella then he would.

**I really hope you enjoyed this chapter. It's not all sweetness and light yet but we are getting to the final sprint and I promise that eventually it will get a whole lot happier.**

**I will update soon if I get some more reviews. For the last couple of chapters I have not received as many as usual, and I have to admit that it put me on a bit of a downer. **

**Please review and bring me back to my happy and confident self lol.**


	18. Charlie

**AUTHORS NOTES – Just want to say well done to Rob on behalf of all his fans for winning Vanity Fairs most handsome man title.**

**If you haven't seen the pics of him filming Remember Me in New York yet then go to my profile page and click on the deviantart link and you can get a taster yum, yum.**

**Thanks for some wicked reviews for the last chapter and I can now confirm that I am back to my happy and confident self and am 100% ready to continue with the last leg of this story.**

**For info about a possible sequel read the chapter end notes at the end of this instalment.**

Chapter 18 – Charlie

EPOV

I never thought that it was possible for a vampire to become physically exhausted. What with my sheer strength and stamina I had never had the nauseous feeling from lack of energy that I was experiencing now.

I made my way to the family waiting room, a room I had become quite accustomed to since going out with Bella. Every other week she would be in the hospital with some injury or other, whether it be a cut, a bump to the head or a broken knuckle.

Every previous visit which brought me to this place however, was much more serene than this particular time. Usually when I would be waiting around whilst she had treatment from either Carlisle or someone else if he was busy I was quite sedate, comfortable almost in the situation because I knew she would come out of it alright. The injuries which brought her here this time though did not offer me such luxuries.

I collapsed into the first chair I laid my eyes on as the door swung shut behind me. Bella's fate was out of my hands, and now sitting shakily in her own. She was too weak to be changed, she wouldn't survive the transition due to her injuries and with her being unconscious there was no way for her to tell anyone how she feeling. It was up to her to fight for her life now, I couldn't help her from here. All I could do was sit and wait.

I slouched down in the chair, resting the back of my head on the wall behind me and closed my eyes ready to try anything to even feel helpful in a bid to save the one I love. I had never prayed before I met Bella and I had only prayed once after, until now. The first time was the moment I realised James had her in his grasp. As I ran to save her, I prayed to god to keep her alive long enough for me to get there. It seemed to work as when I reached her side, yes she had been bitten, and yes she was close to death, but she was alive and she did survive.

So if my prayers were answered last time Bella was in dire need then there was no reason not to give it a shot this time around.

My head remained fixed against the wall and now my hands clasped around clumps of hair as I prayed aloud, hoping with every fibre within me that it would have the same effect as my previous effort.

"God, please I know I am a monster and probably damned for all eternity but Bella isn't. She is a sweet, generous, kind, beautiful and loving girl and she doesn't deserve to die this young. Please don't take her away from the people who love her. Please don't take her away from me."

As my pleas to a higher power subsided gradually I found myself staring at a crack on the ceiling tile directly above me. I didn't know at first why I had tried to focus all my attention on this little minute detail but I ultimately decided that it was a distraction from what was going on. Sure, what was happening to Bella always remained with me as I waited, and waited, and waited but this tiny little flaw on what otherwise was a perfectly good tile was what kept my mind from combusting.

20 minutes had passed and my eyes were still fixated on the same spot. Little did I know, but this quite little room was about to end up very crowded.

The first I knew of this was when I heard a massive jumble of thoughts coming closer and closer to the door. Some were distraught, some were panicky, some were sympathetic and one, only one was fraught with anger. This thought, the thoughts of Charlie were the only ones I could decipher as he and my whole family came bombarding towards the room where I was trying to gain some peace.

_**I swear when I get my hands on that boy I will need an army to pull me back.**_

At hearing this, a quiet chuckle left my lips. Charlie wouldn't have a chance of hurting me; I was too strong and too fast. As the crooked smile began to fade at feeling again the loss and uncertainty of Bella's future my family and Charlie came stampeding through the door and settled right in front of me.

Bella's father took centre stage, leaving my mother and siblings gawking at me from behind. The fury which eclipsed Charlie's entire body as he stared down at me actually scared me a little and I questioned in my head whether or not in his present state and frame of mind if he actually could cause me some physical damage.

"So where is she? What is wrong with her?" Charlie bellowed in a fit of rage.

"I, I don't know yet Chief Swan, we have to wait for Carlisle to get back with the test results." I replied in a sombre and unsteady tone.

Charlie leaned over me as I stared at my feet. I couldn't bring myself to look at him after everything that has happened and in my mind I fully deserved and accepted what he said to me next.

"Edward, I swear if anything happens to her I will hold you personally responsible for as long as I live."

I didn't have time to react to this last statement before my entire family excluding a busy Carlisle shuffled in front of Charlie and shielded me from his gaze.

"It's not his fault." They all protested after one another.

As this was going on I just sat there, my head between my knees and my hands clutching the back of my head. I couldn't keep hold of myself much longer and if I didn't get any news on Bella soon I was frightened that I would tear this hospital and everything in it apart until I could find out for myself what was going on.

My brothers and sisters stepped back behind Charlie once they had finished with their protective words for me. My mother Esme on the other hand remained at my side, placing her delicate hand over my own, which was still clutched atop my head and then forcefully and in her next outburst to Charlie said,

"Believe me, I know how much you must be hurting now but this is not my Edwards fault. He loves Bella more than anything in this world and it would kill him of anything happened to her."

"I don't know Esme, how can I trust what you say after the state he left her in last time when you all decided to up sticks and leave." Charlie thoughtfully questioned.

"Charlie, that was not Edwards doing, and you must listen to me when I tell you that he was just as miserable as Bella when he was apart from her. They are one in the same, you must see that." Esme retaliated hoping this would ease the last of his anger towards me.

I looked up at my mother offering her a thank you nod of the head and then moved my eyes over to Bella's dad. Of course I understood why he would be so unsure of me. After all, every one of Bella's problems had started after we became an item and it was a part of our relationship which I always detested. I tried to keep her safe by leaving last year but it just made it a whole lot worse and I realised that once I had entered Bella's life then I could never leave it. We had to be together no matter what dangers we would face as a result of it.

Charlie looked back at me as he spotted that I was now glaring at him deep in thought and inner turmoil, then spoke, not to everybody in the room but just to me.

"Okay, I admit Bells has never been as happy as when she has been with you Edward and I know that she loves you above everything. It just seems that bad things happen every time you get close to her."

I thought over this quickly, trying to think of a suitable answer to Charlie's worries. Yes, it is true that Bella had been hurt since we had been together and this was now the second time we have both come close to losing her (not that Charlie was aware of how bad the first time was), and I was 110% sure without any shadow of doubt that if she pulled through this most recent 'blip' on our relationship radar then I would never let anyone or anything put her in danger again.

"I understand Chief Swan and I promise you that as long as I exist and Bella wants me I will be there, and I will never let her come to any harm again."

I could see that Charlie was about to respond to this vow from me, he gave me one quick reassuring nod but before he could open his mouth to speak the words he wanted to say, we all heard someone turn the door knob ready to enter.

As the person came in, everyone in the room turned to stare at them as they revealed themselves from behind their clipboard.

When I realised who it was I felt my entire body stiffen involuntarily. This was it, I was about to get the news I had been waiting for and dreading at the same time. Would my Bella, get through this? Would she survive and come back to me? Well I was just about to find out.

**I know this chapter isn't as long as my others, it is mainly a filler to piece together a 'sort of' relationship between Charlie and Edward before all the other 'stuff' starts to happen.**

**Anyway I hope you liked it and sorry again for the cliff hanger. Sometimes it is something I feel compelled to do in order to keep the story exciting and this was one of those times.**

**REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW.**

**Lastly as we are coming towards the end of this story, well in six chapters anyway I have decided to write a sequel once it is done. I have two ideas which I think would work well as a carry on from this one and I have decided to let you pick.**

**Go to the poll on my profile page where the ideas are outlined and you can vote for your fave option.**


	19. His Blessing

**AUTHORS NOTES – Thanks for my reviews and thanks to the people who are voting for the sequel on my profile page. Remember you can continue to vote for your fave until this story is finished because that is when I will start writing it.**

**Hope u like the next chapter.**

Chapter 19 – Blessing

EPOV

Carlisle was moving towards me and Charlie at a snail's pace. To be a vampire and to be moving this slowly meant that something was seriously wrong.

I heard Jasper gasp and my eyes darted over to what was now a face full of anguish. Whatever emotions were radiating from my father as he got closer obviously had a negative effect on my brother and I couldn't help but dry sob into my hands.

After 2 minutes and complete silence from everyone in the room I managed to gather my emotions and look up at my father again. He didn't look happy, but then again he didn't look unhappy, he was completely indifferent and deep in thought.

I couldn't handle not knowing what was going on anymore. I needed to hear it for my sanity if nothing else. I hated being in the dark like this. I tried listening to Carlisle's thoughts no longer able to wait for him to speak the words. When I entered his mind all I could hear was him reciting the declaration of independence and then I realised the news must be big enough and important enough that he would want to tell me himself and not have me steal it from him.

"Excuse me can everyone leave, I need to speak with both Charlie and Edward alone." Carlisle requested.

They all obeyed to his wishes and left the room immediately, it was obvious this was just for Charlie's benefit. Even with them all out of sight I knew they would be listening close by and would hear every element of the conversation whilst it was taking place and I couldn't argue, I would have done exactly the same thing.

Carlisle looked over at Charlie forcing himself to put on a slight smile as he tried to be gentle about the whole goings on.

"Charlie please take a seat, I have some news about Bella's condition."

Bella's father instantly took a seat next to me and unexpectedly placed his hand on my shoulder. It was comforting for the both of us I would guess. Bella was the most important person in both our worlds and we were the only two people in the whole universe that were going through exactly the same thing at the same moment. We needed each other as Carlisle finally let us know of her future.

I smiled at Charlie, trying to put his shaking body at some ease and then looked at my father who was now positioned in a chair opposite and pleaded,

"Dad, she is going to be ok isn't she?" I hesitantly asked, still dreading the answer to my question.

"Well Edward son, she is still unconscious so we need to run some more tests to see if the reason she is not waking up is because of brain damage."

I took in his words. It was worse than I could have ever imagined. I just have to pray with all my heart that she has no damage to the brain. I dreaded to think what that would mean if that was the case.

Charlie tightened his grip on my shoulder as he took in this first piece of news as well.

"Carlisle, be honest with me please. Do you think that she has brain damage?" Charlie questioned nervously whilst I put my head back between my knees.

"I am sorry Charlie, but I believe she does. However she is in a stable condition and doesn't seem to be deteriorating. At the moment she is in a comatose state so it is just a question of waiting to see if she responds to treatments." Carlisle sadly spilled to us.

I lifted my head and looked at both mine and Bella's fathers. This wasn't it, I could tell from Carlisles voice and the way he was looking at me. Yes, he had got the worst of the news over with first but there was still more to come and I just wanted to get it over and done with, now.

"Dad what about the other injuries? Her leg, her jaw and her ribs I mean?"

Carlisle looked at me strangly, probably because he was expecting another question about her head injury, and trust me I wasn't finished yet.

"Those injuries will heal in the next month or so. They are not as bad as they first looked. Hopefully by the time she wakes up they will be as good as new."

Charlie and I both looked at each other at hearing this, our eyes suddenly full of joy and hope.

"So Dr Cullen, do you think she will wake up then." Charlie asked, sounding somewhat elated.

"Charlie wait that was one scenario, I cannot promise either of you that she will recover fully. If it turns out the head injury is serious, there is even a chance that she may not wake up at all."

Charlie slumped back in his chair as all the joy which he had just experienced left him in a second. I on the other hand shuddered internally trying to take it all in. I wouldn't live if Bella didn't wake up. I needed to see her beautiful eyes staring up at me again, feel her breath on my skin, and the echoes of her laughter in my ear.

A plan was beginning to form in my head as I sat that there fidgeting back and forth. Sure, Bella was too weak to go through the change of becoming a vampire now, but if it ever came to the point where we were sure she would never wake up then I would have no choice but to change her, I couldn't face losing my Bella forever. After 2 months tops, other than her head injury she would be perfectly healthy, Carlisle had said so himself. I would hold my Bella again, she would say my name lovingly in her beautiful melodic voice and we would get married. So that was it, settled. In 2 months time if Bella still hasn't awoken, then I will sneak her out of this god forsaken place and bite her myself.

Someone knocked on the door and entered, a nurse. It pulled me from my thoughts and I listened intently as Carlisle went to talk to her outside the room.

He came back in less than a minute with a slight smile on his face and then told us the latest.

"Ok, they have finished doing the necessary tests for now. You can both go and see her, but only 1 at a time. I must stress that Bella needs time to heal so it's important that once you have visited that you leave her in peace. I will let you know if there have been any developments."

As Carlisle got up to leave and continue with his duties Charlie and I nodded, agreeing to leave Bella alone once we had seen her. I concurred because there was no other reaction in my mind at the time. What was I thinking, agreeing to go? I couldn't leave whilst Bella was in here and I had no intention to. As long as my love had to stay in this horrid place then so would I.

I got up from my seat and stretched my whole body, all in attempt to elevate the stress which had settled in my limbs. It would not leave me and I was once again doubled over and collapsed into the same chair. A vision had entered my mind, one I had seen previously. When Bella first went missing Alice had a vision of my Bella laying unconscious in this very hospital and having her life support switched off. I knew this image was getting closer to becoming reality but with my new plan in place I was determined not to let it actually happen.

Above all my family and Bella, I was the one person who always disagreed with changing her. I knew that once we were married she would get me to turn her into a Vampire eventually, but there were so many more human experiences I wanted her to have before then. It looks like that isn't going to happen, but as long as I could keep my Bella alive I would sacrifice and begrudgingly do it.

I once again, and for what seemed like the millionth time that day had my head supported in my hands, almost as if my hair had become my hands comfort blanket through all this.

I sensed Charlie kneeling down beside me, but I didn't look up. I had no desire to see the pain that I felt reflecting through his eyes when I looked at him. He took one deep breath and it was as if he was about to say something that he was going to struggle to get out.

"Edward, I can see now how much you love my daughter. I pray she gets better, not just for her and for me but for you as well." He said in a reassuring tone.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Was Charlie really accepting me as a part of Bella's life, finally? For so long now I have been banned from the house, ordered to stay away from Bella (not that I listened) and I could tell that it saddened Bella that we didn't get along. Maybe something good was finally coming out of all this destruction and mayhem, Charlie was willing to give me a chance.

"Ummm thank you Charlie, you don't know how much that means to me. If Bella was here now and listening I know she would be so happy that you can be accepting of us." I responded as I turned my face to look at his.

He stood from his kneeling position and gave me a pat on the back as if to say 'you're welcome'. I smiled in his direction as he made his way to the door, eager to see Bella before he had to get back to work. Charlie opened the door and walked through, but before shutting it behind him he broke into a quiet and short fit of laughter.

I stared up at him from my seat, completely puzzled. He was about to go and see his only daughter, who had just escaped death and was in a coma. Why would he have any reason to laugh? Before I could question this strange 'episode' he answered it for me.

"Son," he breathlessly started.

Oh my god, did he just call me son, we really were building bridges.

"Yes, Chief Swan."

"Edward don't be stupid, you can call me Charlie now." He answered

"Ok sure Chief Swan. Oh, I mean Charlie." I smirked.

"I must confess, the morning of the day Bella went missing I snuck in her room when she was still asleep."

It must have been after I left to go home and get a change of clothes. He would have seen me cradling her in my arms otherwise.

"I saw the ring on her finger when she turned over, and trust me I was furious."

I looked down at our rings, mine now securely in place on my wedding finger and Bella's tightly wrapping around the small finger of the same hand. I always wore them, never taking them off so they remained side by side at all times. There would only be one situation where I would be willing to part with the dainty diamond ring which originally belonged to my mother, and that would be when I could put it back in its rightful place, on Bella's hand.

I remembered Charlie and caught him staring down at the rings I was now ogling. I panicked at realising what he might be thinking so decided to try and rectify the situation.

"Charlie, I am so sorry we were going to tell you b,"

"Sssshhhhh boy, let me finish. When I first spotted the ring I wanted to rip it from her hand and I fully intended on doing so, but when she turned over the expression which was on her peaceful face as she held her ring wearing hand up to her cheek was one of pure happiness and I decided then and there that if this was going to make her happy I would let it happen." Charlie and I both smiled.

"I can see now how much Bella loves you and you her and I want to wholeheartedly give you my blessing."

I took every word in and only if Bella was here hearing these words come from her father with me would this scene be any better. I didn't take a moment to think as I jumped out of my chair and crossed the room towards him. I wrapped my arms around Charlie's shoulders so overwhelmed at his acceptance of mine and Bella's relationship. I swear, if I had hugged him any tighter I would have crushed his body to dust but as this crossed my mind and I softened my grip I said one final thing before Charlie let go and left the room.

"Now Charlie, all we need is for Bella to come back to us and I know that if she can, then she will."

**I know it's a long one and not really that action packed, but at least you know what is wrong with Bella now, right**

**Even though I am the one writing it I still found it emotional writing the convo between Edward and Charlie it was so lovely, I felt.**

**Let me know what you think by reviewing, you know the drill by now.**

**Oh and if you have twitter follow me LondonaLozzy and PeterFacinelli aka Dr Cullen before Friday. He is trying to win some weird bet with his friend and I am just helping him along. Details of the bet are on his twitter page.**


	20. Gone

**AUTHORS NOTES – Thank you one and all for the wicked reviews I have been receiving. I don't know whether it is a good thing that I have apparently had many of you in tears reading this story and I am sorry so say that will probably be more before the end. Trust me though when I say, that the last tears you cry for this story will most definitely be happy ones.**

**Everyone I urge 2 go 2 the profile page of ****I'mEdWaRd'SlAtUaCaNtAnTe and read her story I'm Sorry. It is brilliant and defo worth the read.**

Chapter 20 – Gone

EPOV

Within seconds of my unexpected hug to Charlie he was out of the room and on his way to see Bella. Before I even had a chance to begin an approach to my seat I heard someone coming, someone I knew.

I opened the door to let Alice know that I knew she was there. She entered with a "thank you" and as I shut the door and turned to face her I could see a questioning look gathering on her face.

We both took a seat facing each other, myself still unaware of what she wanted to say. In a normal situation I would have concentrated on her thoughts and got the question from them but at the moment my head was completely jumbled and I couldn't focus on anything.

She squinted her eyes at me and burst out with,

"Edward why did I just have a vision of Bella as one of us?

"In fact why did I have a vision at all?" she questioned herself then. I already knew the answer. Alice had said last time they returned abruptly that it was something to do with Bella. When her path takes an unexpected course like when Alice had the first vision of her in the hospital or when she saw her in Volturi with Jane they start again.

"Alice you already know the answer to that, it's Bella." I smiled faintly.

Just at that moment Alice's first question became clear in my mind. Alice had seen Bella as one of us. That must mean that is was all going to be ok.

"Pheeew thank god. That means it's going to work." I said to myself.

"What's going to work? Edward what are you up to?" She smirked at me, her mind working overtime to try and fathom what was going on.

"Alice in 2 months if Bella is still unconscious but healthy other than that I am going to get her out of here and change her." Determination smothering my voice.

My sister immediately jumped up from her seat, launching on me with the biggest smile from her I had ever seen.

"Oh Ed, I am so glad you are doing this. I always wanted Bella as a sister." She grinned.

I pushed Alice off of me, trying to get some seriousness back into the tone of the conversation before I carried on explaining. My sister caught on quick and was suddenly back in her chair and staring at me intently.

"Alice no one else can know, Rosalie and Carlisle especially would never agree to this. He would want Bella to decide this for herself and would think it too big a risk. In my option the biggest risk is Bella dying (gulp) and I can't face that."

"Don't worry brother I will help you get it all done. We will do this together." She ensured me.

It is now 1 month later and my beautiful Bella still hasn't woken up. I still had time to change her, another month at least and that was surely enough time to prepare for the change.

Bella's breathing became ever so shallow during the first weeks and it was decided that she should go on a life support machine to help her breathe. It was just getting worse and worse and the hopes of her waking up of her own accord were getting slimmer by the day.

One day whilst I was at the hospital Carlisle ran some more tests. He was getting very confused. Apart from her leg which still needed time to heal she looked again like normal Bella. Her ribs were healed perfectly, her jaw had been set and seemed to be on the mend and various blood transfusions ensured that she had enough liquids in her system. I must admit the first time they did a transfusion was very strange. She didn't smell right with other peoples blood in her and it put me on edge, but every minute her scent would become stronger and take over again completely, convincing me that even though she wasn't conscious she was still there.

So again, apart from her leg and her mending jaw Bella seemed perfectly healthy from the tests taken, so why wasn't she waking up? I knew full well that even Carlisle had no explanation for this and all he would keep saying was "it's just a matter of time". Yes, but how much time was my question.

Whilst Bella had been in the hospital my family (excluding Alice) had been to visit her only a couple of times. Only 2 visitors were allowed per visit and I refused to leave her, which meant there was only room for one person, either my sister or Charlie. Alice sat with me every day for the first 2 weeks, not wanting to leave Bella's or my side. After a while though it became too much for her seeing her best friend and brother in such a way and she stopped coming as often, even though she was in on the plan. Charlie was kept busy at work so didn't get a chance to see Bella much, not that he came on his days off anyway. He would just ring every other day checking for progress, to heartbroken to see her physically.

I was a different story, I never left her side. I didn't hunt at all whilst she was there, and I could only change clothes when Alice came for her visits and brought me in something fresh to wear. I would usually go in the staff toilet and shower room, at Carlisle's suggestion and changed and washed in there. My whole family could see how badly I needed to drink, my eyes were pure onyx but I wouldn't waver. As long as Bella was here I would remain at her side no matter how hard it got.

As the next day drew to a close and I was another day closer to having to change Bella I decided to plead with her for the thousandth time. I knew in my dormant heart that if Bella would respond to anyone's voice it would be mine, so I was constantly talking to her, singing to her, humming her lullaby into her ear, all in attempt for unsuccessful progress.

"Please wake up my sleeping beauty, we have your fathers blessing. I will marry you tomorrow if you just wake up. Oh, Bella open your eyes, I don't want to have to change you yet. There is so much for you to experience." I looked up at her whilst I said this, hoping for some kind of reaction, nothing.

I looked up from Bella and noticed my father Carlisle staring down at me. I could tell just by the way his thoughts were all messed up into incoherent drivel that there was something very important he needed to break to me.

"Edward, I had a phone call from Charlie and I need to tell you something."

"Yes." I responded now stroking my fiancées cheek with my palm.

"This is hard for me to say but, Charlie has spoken to Renee and they are in agreement that it is time to turn Bella's life support off."

I looked up at my father, fury and terror engulfing me. Bella needed that machine to breathe, to survive. They were just going to let her die. No, no there must still be time.

"Never, no I can't let you do that. I can't believe everyone has given up on her after only a month. She will wake up, she will." I cried.

"Son, Charlie and I have come an arrangement to try and help you but you must do as I say." My father forced.

"What is it Carlisle?" I moaned.

"Charlie is willing to keep her on the machine for another 2 weeks but during that time you must go back to school and try to live a normal life."

"Normal life, normal life how am I supposed to live a normal life when the whole reason I am alive is laying in a hospital bed unconscious. I won't leave her here alone Carlisle, I won't" I protested.

"Look, Bella won't be alone I am always here watching her and I promise you that if there are any changes you will be the first to know. You can still visit her after class and at weekends but you must go to school." Carlisle tried to press.

"Why though Carlisle? School is just a show for us, you know that. There is no need for it" I bellowed now kissing Bella's forehead between words.

"Yes son I know that but Charlie doesn't. Everyone can see you are falling apart Edward. If you don't agree to this then Charlie will have the support switched off as early as tomorrow, he can't handle seeing Bella and you like this any longer. It's up to you now son." My father pointed out.

"Dad, even if I do this do you think that she has a chance of waking up." I begged, hoping for a positive answer.

"Edward, I am going to tell you the truth as you deserve. The chances of Bella waking up now are slim to none but I know that as long as she has your love and your support there is always a chance."

That was all I needed to hear. Yes indeed, the chances of Bella regaining consciousness in the next 2 weeks were miniscule but that might just be long enough to secure my plan in place and find away to get her out of here and changed. I knew I would need to hunt at some point before then and quench my thirst before I tasted her blood but that was something I had 2 weeks to do.

This was it, Bella's human life was going to come to end in 2 weeks whether I changed her or not. The first course she could take would be an early death at 18 but that wasn't going to happen if I had a say. The second was that after the 2 weeks she became a vampire destined to an eternity of secret identity, shielding her true form from humans and always moving from place to place. Even this wasn't ideal, I wanted Bella back the way she was but with only those two options available to me I knew which one I could live with and which I couldn't.

My Bella, in 2 weeks will become a vampire and begin her eternal life with me. I would make sure it happened. It was the only future we had now.

And so, the countdown to Bella's change had begun.

**Hope you enjoyed this instalment. There is not long to go now just two more chapters and an epilogue. After that though I will begin the sequel straight away and if you haven't voted for it already then go to my profile page and vote in the pole for your preferred sequel.**

**Also read my other 'story' which is really details about the bet I am sure you have all heard about between Peter Facinelli aka Carlisle and a friend. Peter has 2 get 500,000 followers on twitter by Friday June 19****th****. If he wins then one of his lucky followers will win the back of his Twilight director's chair, and yes Rob Pattinson has sat on it, oh the excitement. Details and links are on my profile page.**

**And remember please continue 2 review I love hearing what you think of each chapter.**


	21. Countdown

**AUTHORS NOTES – I don't know about you but I was completely devastated about what happened to RPattz yesterday. Getting hit by a car because he is getting mobbed by crazy fans whilst filming is just too much and something needs to be done even if he wasn't hurt. That is why myself and a friend have started the respect me campaign to show loyalty to Rob as his genuine fans. Hopefully if there are enough followers then it will force the film company to get him better security so he isn't physical danger again.**

**Download the banners and icons for the campaign by clicking the deviantart link on my profile page. Please spread the word and enjoy this chapter.**

Chapter 21 – Countdown

EPOV

I was running out of time, the 2 weeks I had to prepare for what I was forcing myself to do to Bella were ebbing away at a quick rate and as the seconds, minutes, hours and days ticked by I found my myself getting more and more anxious.

The first and only time I have ever tasted Bella's blood was when she was in the Ballet Studio. James had bitten her and it was up to me whether she was changed or not. I couldn't let her become a vampire then, for the same reasons I didn't want her to be a vampire now. There were so many things she needed to experience as a human, graduation, college and children. I had argued endlessly with Bella about changing her in the past, trying to warn her that once she was a vampire she could never have children of her own. She had told me and in no uncertain terms that she would only be happy as long as she could spend forever with me even if that meant not becoming a mother one day and I accepted it, anything to keep my Bella happy.

That time in the studio when I was draining the venom from her system I really did feel that I couldn't stop. The monster within me had taken over and all I could think about was drinking, nothing else mattered. It was only when Carlisle started nudging me and warning me that I was killing her that I looked down at Bella's face and knew that I had to stop, and I did even though it was the hardest thing I have ever done. Does the fact that I managed to stop last time mean that I would fight the demon within me this time around and gain control? I could only hope that was the case.

I understood deep down why my family wanted me to go back to my mundane routine and lead a seemingly normal life. They were trying to ease me into an existence without Bella, forcing me carry on so that I could handle the whole situation better when the worst finally happened. I knew what they were all thinking, well everyone except Alice, she knew things they didn't know. My parents and siblings were all panicking that the moment Bella went then I would be on the first plane to Italy trying to get myself killed again. They were lucky, if everything worked out as me and my sister were planning and we managed to get Bella back safely even if it was as one of us, then I would have no need to pursue the Volturi. However, if for some unknown reason it all went wrong and I did indeed lose my Bella forever then the Volturi would be the only answer and it was suddenly in my mind that that became plan b.

As the middle of the second week came around there was still no change to Bella. I have to admit that in the back of my head I still had a small element of hope that she might just wake up and I wouldn't have to change her at all. That hope was dwindling fast and I concluded that the change which would take place at the end of this week was now the only viable option.

Apart from school I was still with Bella constantly. I sat at her bedside every night, never taking my eyes off of her and only moved when I saw a nurse giving me cautious looks and I needed to keep up the human facade with a little fidget or the occasional yawn. The first few days of the inevitable countdown had the medical staff at the hospital really worried. They were questioning my health as all they could see was a distraught teenage boy who never slept, didn't eat and didn't look at anyone apart from the 'poor' girl in the bed. After a while however, they gave up caring, I had become a fixture by Bella's side and they no longer queried my actions.

Before I knew it the time had finally come and I was now only 1 day away from the dreaded switching off of the machine. Alice and I had convinced the rest of the family that I needed to go through this alone and having all of them around me during Bella's 'death' would be too hard for me to cope with. They were reluctant at first, convinced that I would do something stupid to myself but after Alice told them that she could see no such thing they decided to go on a hunting trip through Canada leaving that very afternoon and not returning until the weekend. This was good, it meant that I had one last night with Bella it now being Thursday and the change happening Friday and that I could get her back to the house and the transition could happen in peace, just me and her without interruption from the family.

On that Thursday morning Alice forced everyone except myself and her to go to school in Emmett's jeep, insisting to the others that me and her needed to talk. Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper, Alice and my parents were leaving around noon so it was decided that it was best that my siblings come to school in the morning, not wanting to leave me longer than necessary.

On the way to school which only took 10 minutes in my Volvo at full speed myself and Alice went over the finer points of the upcoming weekend's events.

"Edward, are sure you want to do this alone, I can stay." Alice pushed.

"No, I and I alone need to get Bella through the transition. It's up to me to look after her. You just keep everyone else away and don't tell anyone. Hopefully by the time you get back on Sunday Bella will have gotten through the worst and it will all work out fine."

Alice nodded in reluctant agreement and we both fell into an awkward silence as we got closer to the school parking lot. I noticed Alice's forehead crease and before I had time to read her thoughts to find out what she was thinking she told me.

"Don't you think we are forgetting one pretty major issue." She questioned.

"What?" I responded downright confused.

"Oh it's nothing major, ok well it is. How the heck are you going to explain Bella disappearing off of the face of the earth? She won't be able to see Charlie or anyone after she turns at least not for a while anyway and if she just vanishes from the hospital the day that her machine is being switched off, don't you think that will pose some questions." Alice shouted in my direction.

I pulled into my usual parking space, still mulling over in my head what Alice had just warned me about. Yes, this would be a problem a big problem but then I thought of something, yet another plan. I would have to take Bella tonight, a day earlier yes but if I could get her away in the dead of night then it might just work. When there weren't as many people around I could sneak her away unseen and hopefully they would just pass it off (after a huge search obviously) as a patient who woke up, with brain damage, not remembering who she was and wandered off not to be found.

Before we got out of the car I relayed my thoughts to Alice. There were holes in this not so perfect idea obviously but it was all I could think of and my sister seemed to agree. This meant with the plan taking place earlier than expected that instead of going to Bella straight after school I would have to hunt first, making sure that my thirst was at a minimum before any 'biting' occurred and then remain at her side until it was clear to leave.

School was a fitting distraction for me but in no way blocked my mind of what would be taking place in less than 24 hours time. During the morning as I drifted through class numb from the inside out I couldn't help from listening in on people's conversation's, well the ones in their heads and by lunch I couldn't get over the fact that after only a month Bella was not any of their minds anymore. People had stopped approaching me to ask about Bella and even the likes of Mike Newton who always had a 'soft spot' towards my girl had stopped thinking about her. Now, it was only me, my siblings and one other person that had her constantly on our minds.

Angela Weber was one of Bella's close, close friends and at hearing her sorrow filled thoughts I began falling back into the daily downward spiral I had been stuck in since Bella went missing almost 3 months ago. I looked at Angela as she gazed at me a forced smile taking the place of her sad grimace.

_**Oh poor Edward. I can never understand what he is going through. If only there was something I could do. I will never get over loosing Bella she is one of the nicest, purest people I have ever known.**_

_**I know this afternoon I am going to skip lessons and go and see her, my last goodbye.**_

Angela's heartfelt words sent me to the brink and it took all my strength not to scream at the top of my lungs in agony, how could this be happening? Bella should be here, with me and with her friends not laying in a hospital bed about to go through the worst agony anyone could ever experience, I would never forgive myself for putting her through this upcoming pain.

I was about to get up and try and console Angela, it was all I could think to do but as my feet lifted me from my seat I thought again. Angela was already up and darting towards the exit visibly heartbroken at the visit she was about to pay her tragedy stricken friend.

Once lunch was over Alice and everyone left to go on their 'camping' trip for the weekend leaving me all alone. My last classes passed by me in a blur of misery and as the last lesson Biology was coming to its end I ended up staring down at Bella's empty space and vowing that I would never enter this classroom or indeed this school again unless Bella was at my side.

As I stepped out of the classroom making my way towards my car I found myself being greeted with strange gestures from almost every passer by. I was getting smiling coming my way, pats on the back, reassuring glances. I couldn't for the life of me understand what was going on and to be honest I didn't really care, all that mattered was getting Bella to my house and getting her there and changed before anyone found out.

I trudged across the parking lot as slow as ever and was broken from my deep thoughts by shouts and happy chants being aimed at me.

"Congrats Cullen, I knew it would work out for the best." Ben Cheney called over.

"I am so happy for you Edward." Eric smiled back.

I looked at everyone completely puzzled as I continued towards the car getting in and pulling the door shut behind me. What the hell was all that about? Did they know something I didn't know?

**I really hope you liked this chapter. Only 2 more to go now so it's all coming to end sadly. Please continue to review everyone as I love hearing your thoughts.**

**And remember to click the deviantart link on my profile page and download the respect me campaign banners and icons in support of Rob.**


	22. Explosion

**AUTHORS NOTES – Just a little message before the penultimate chapter. **

**A big happy birthday goes out to our fave fictional character Edward Cullen whose official birthday is June 20****th**** 1901. Edward I hope you had a great day over in imaginary Twilight land lol.**

Chapter 22 – Explosion

EPOV

I made my home from school, still trying to prepare myself for what I was going to have to do in just a few hours time.

The plan had changed somewhat since this morning, now I had less time to get myself ready for this than I originally thought. Initially the idea was to skip school on Friday spending most of the day hunting and satiating my thirst and then getting the house ready for Bella's arrival before I snuck her home that night, ready for the change to begin.

However since the issue of 'Charlie' came to the forefront it was decided between my sister and I that I took Bella earlier, on this night. I had to keep telling myself that this was for the best, it was either I save Bella but she becomes a vampire or I lose her all together. After thinking this over for less than a second, my mind was set and the wheels were set in motion for the evening's upcoming event.

I was aching to see my darling Bella so wanted to get the hunt out of the way as quickly as possible. I didn't want to waste time sniffing out a particular species of wild cat, preferably a mountain lion just so I could get more pleasure from its liquid. No, that wasn't important now, all that mattered was that I could drink enough to stop any risk that I might take too much blood from Bella when the time for the 'biting' came. With that in mind, I set out through the forest looking for some deer; they definitely weren't as mouth watering and moorish as the much sparser lion but there were plenty of them and in close proximity, making them my personal 'catch of the day.'

After hunting and killing what were at least 15 of the local deer, I found myself completely full to the brim and was confident that there would be no danger of my control slipping when it came time for Bella to be my 'victim'.

Concluding what was roughly an hour's hunt I ran back home as fast as my vampire speed would allow, went up to my room and changed into a fresh shirt and pants. As I exited my 'sanctuary' and walked down through the house and towards the front door I suddenly felt very nervous but excited at the same time. I was nervous because I knew what was coming and I so wanted everything to go well and as planned and I was excited because in just over 2 hours I would back in this very house with the one person I would be spending eternity with, my Bella.

I let these thoughts carry me out of the house and into my car and once I was driving I felt my absent heart aching for its mate, its other half, my other half. I sped up, as fast as the car would allow and as I got closer to Forks Hospital the spasms which my dead organ was just experiencing subsided into a low non-existent hum. I was getting closer to Bella by the second, my heart felt it and I felt it. We would be back together soon and this time it would be forever.

Only 10 minutes had passed and I was already parked up and making my way through to the hospitals entrance, full of eagerness to see my sleeping beauty.

Usually when I entered the ward on one of my many visits I was met with the same thing day in and day out. Crowds of sympathetic faces would greet me as edged through the corridors randomly scattered with the sad features of the hospital's medical staff, whilst on my way to Bella's private room.

However, today was like no other day. When I entered the ward and I came into view to all the nurses and doctors, their faces seemed to well up with relief and happiness when they caught sight of me. Why was this? I wondered. Damn this day was confusing; I must have been having a mental episode of something. I didn't want to look at their positive faces any longer; it was taking too much out of me when I had to look at them whilst I was feeling the complete opposite to how they looked like they felt.

I looked at my feet as I continued towards Bella's room. I had no need to worry about bumping into anyone or anything. I could have walked through there with my eyes closed and my hands tied behind my back and I still wouldn't have caused any damage.

I slowly opened Bella's door and went to sit at her side without even looking up. As I looked over her, I noted how peaceful she looked, how much at ease she seemed to be. I looked closer at her face taking in every square inch as I sat there. She looked like she was smiling, smiling whilst she slept. I had seen her do this many times before, but why did it seem to take so much focus from me now, at this moment. That is when it clicked, I hadn't seen her smile since she has been in hospital, and usually her mouth is covered with a respirator which is attached to the life support, so I wouldn't be able to see her smile even if she was. Wait, why was her respirator gone? And oh my god the life support is gone to, what the hell is happening? They switched it off early, how could they do that? Carlisle said Friday, it wasn't meant to happen until then. Oh why was everything going wrong?

I shook internally at the thought of what was happening, I was so confused. I spotted a nurse out in the hall gathered into a circle with another three fellow nurses. I called her over, anxious about finding out what had happened here. When she heard my call, I watched her come through the door towards me, holding back in her throat what seemed to be a giggle or another type of amusement daring to escape her mouth.

"Why has Bella's life support been taken away?" I demanded, dry sobs escaping through my voice.

The nurse looked at me thoroughly and realised that I was on the verge of a complete breakdown. She composed herself and then attempted with every fibre of her being, or so I thought to put my mind at rest.

"Oh Mr Cullen relax, it is in preparation for tomorrow. We have to do tests to see how long Miss Swan can breathe without difficulty before an event like tomorrows. It is hospital procedure." She said as she walked back out, a smile crossing her face whilst making her way back to the huddle of girls. There was something she wasn't telling me, something which was making her and everyone else have these weird reactions around me. I wouldn't have tried to read her thoughts, but there were so many emotions running through me at the time, that the only thing I could concentrate on was Bella and her impending immortality.

I closed my eyes and rested my head on Bella's stomach knowing that if I was going to get back any mental normalcy it would be when I came into contact with her. Even though the life support had been taken away and she was left to her own devices, her heart seemed to be beating loud and strong, and her breath's were deep and frequent. This was strange I thought considering she was apparently so out of hope that she would technically be 'killed' the next day. I would put this idea to one of the doctors shortly but first I just needed a few more moments, just me and my Bella before I got anymore outlandish medical jargon.

Just when I was about to move an explosion hit me, not a literal explosion but one that sent my whole body spinning into overdrive. My eyes shot open as I felt a delicate hand move through my hair, and I heard the heartbeat in my beloved's chest hitch at the touch and then speed up. I couldn't concentrate, now I am having hallucinations. I really was going totally mad.

"Edward, it's me. Please look at me." My angel whispered from behind.

I looked up vacantly, doing as the angel requested and looked in the direction the voice had come from. When I caught sight of her face, I became like jelly totally losing control of every physicality and was mentally questioning everything I was now seeing and hearing as clear as day.

"Bella, you are just a figment of my imagination. I have lost you unless I change you and I will never see those beautiful chocolate eyes again." I whimpered as I turned away trying to focus in on what I thought to be reality.

"No Edward, listen to me I love you." She forced.

The imaginary Bella then put her hands on my cheeks pulling my face up to hers, and then kissed my lips more passionately than ever before. It was then, as we pulled apart and she breathed near my mouth that I caught her scent and I felt like I was going to burst.

I pulled my face away from her, a shocked and blissful smile crossing it as I stared back at her. Bella, my Bella was awake. She was really here and I was never going to let her go again. We were back as one, complete in each other's arms and that's how it would remain.

BPOV

I gawked at Edward as he realised that I really was real and not some hallucination sent to torment him. As the similar crooked smile edged with a huge amount of shock crossed his face I couldn't help but giggle under my breath. I had missed that smile and everything else about my Edward since we had been parted and now that we were finally back together I knew that that was how it would remain.

"Edward it really is me. I am awake." I smirked triumphantly and full of happiness.

He continued to look at me, seemingly spellbound by this sudden turn of events. I had heard about the entire goings on from my different visitors throughout the afternoon and I realised how close I had actually come to being separated from my love forever. He was just coming to terms with the fact that I was actually back and present in front of him and it was with a blush of the cheeks from me and stutter from him that I heard his velvet and melodic voice for the second time since I awoke.

"But, but Bella I don't understand, when?" he managed to whisper love and relief encasing every word as he pulled me into a welcoming embrace.

"Well, I woke up and everything seemed far away. The last thing I remembered was talking to you on the payphone, after that nothing." I told him whilst gazing into his smouldering topaz eyes.

He tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear, then grazed my cheek with hand and kissed me on the nose, afterwards resting his forehead upon mine and sighing in pleasure,

"Oh, Bella I love you so much. I can't believe you came back to me."

"I love you too," was all I could muster as he pulled me into a delicate but sensual kiss.

"So, what happened after you woke up?" Edward asked me, still overwhelmed that I was finally awake and back in his arms.

I took one deep breath getting ready to relay all the days' information to the angel now showering me with light kisses and hugs between every sentence and began.

"So when I opened my eyes and everything seemed so distant I looked around and saw Angela sitting there, she went crazy when I woke up. After she hugged me and told me how much I scared everyone she screamed for Carlisle and when he came over and saw me sitting up in bed he was just as, if not more excited." I laughed as I thought back to this; I really hadn't seen Carlisle so happy. He was practically dancing around the room, jumping up and down as he let everyone know. I would never forget that sight.

"Carlisle called my dad who told Renee and Phil. Then he called your mum and she told everyone else. You are the last to know." I smiled as I reached up for another kiss.

"Oh my god, why did no one tell me? That explains all the comments and happy gestures I got at the end of school then, I can't believe the whole student body found out before I did." He shook his head in staged annoyance.

"Edward love, you know what Alice is like once she thought of a way to stage a romantic reunion, there was no stopping her. Before her and the rest of the family went off to 'hunt' she made sure that everyone including Angela not to tell you anything. I guess even sweet little Angela was too excited not to tell everyone else she knows though, even if it meant you were the last to discover the truth." I reassured him during yet another love filled embrace.

I rested my head on his shoulder, breathing in his scent praying that we would never be parted again and smiled, I was truly whole and happy now that I was back in my Edward's arms.

"Thanks for not giving up on me. I love you my hot, sexy, vampire." I whispered at the end for added effect.

I felt his hold tighten at this and then his response sent shivers of love and longing down my back as he rubbed circles into it with his ice cold hands.

"And I love you forever my angel. I will never let you go again." He breathed into my ear.

"You better not. I am demanding that." I joked but secretly meaning every word.

"Your wish is my command," he sniggered. "Now don't say a word."

With that Edward reluctantly pulled away from our enveloped arms, and then left me alone on the bed, taking the empty seat by my side instead. It fell wrong now not holding him after we were apart so long and I wanted to scream for his return, deep down knowing that he wanted it just as much as I did.

Edward looked away from me and pulled a ring off of his finger. He did it too quickly for me to notice what ring it was but I had a feeling. He took my left hand in his, and placed my engagement ring back on my wedding finger, both of us knowing that it would now stay there forever. He gently got back on the bed, cradling me softly in his arms and began kissing away the happy tears which were now escaping my eyes.

"Bella, please don't cry. I love you more than anything in existence and nothing would make me happier than you finally becoming Mrs Cullen. We are destined to be together and nobody can stop that. You are my angel, my life, no my existence." He promised me as I once again rested my hands on his face. There was one thing I wanted, and needed to say. I had to tell him how much he meant to me, how he helped me through this whole ordeal and I knew with saying that I would cement our love for one another for all time.

"Edward you are what kept me alive this long. I nearly gave up hope that I would wake up just as everyone else did. But when I was trapped in that wake less sleep I knew you were there, I heard you speaking those beautiful words to me day in and day out and that day when I heard you argue with Carlisle about turning off my life support I knew that I had to wake up not only for me but for you. I am so completely and unconditionally in love with you and I always will be."

**I really, really hope you like the penultimate chapter. It is longer than most of my others but with it being the most important of the whole story I felt it deserved the extra paragraph here or there.**

**Just the epilogue to go now which will finish off the story nicely I hope and bring us to the beginning of the sequel. You can still vote for your fave sequel if you haven't already. Just go to the poll on my profile for the options.**

**If you were disappointed Bella wasn't changed then vote and it can still happen in the next story. The reason I didn't do it this time around is because it has been done so many times and I wanted this story to be original and too have the option of a sequel which I don't think it would have if I had ended it differently.**

**I urge you now for this chapter more than any other to review. It is the most important chapter of the entire story and brings everything that has been going on to a head. So please, please review and let me know what you think.**


	23. Epilogue

**AUTHORS NOTES – So here it is the last chapter I am so sad right now. It has been amazing writing this story and thanks for the support.**

**SEQUEL WINNER – The winning option for the sequel to this fanfic is ........ An old friend of Edwards (non-vege) vampire takes a shining to Bella and will put her life in danger if she tells Edward. I am starting in a day or two so make sure you check it out.**

**Enjoy. ******

Chapter 23 – Epilogue

EPOV

2 months has passed since my Bella came back to me and we have never been happier.

The day Bella returned to school with me and my family didn't turn out how I expected it. As we pulled into school that morning I questioned her about whether we should take our rings off and hide them on a chain again. It was the last thing either of us wanted to do when we thought about it. A little issue of gossiping from our peers about our engagement was nothing compared to what we had been through in the past months so we were happy to show off our new jewellery, signifying our love for all eternity.

Now, more than 8 weeks after Bella's extraordinary return to reality I found myself back in the same routine we were in before it had all happened, and I loved it.

Every day at the end of school I would drive Bella home in my Volvo, not wanting to leave her alone longer than necessary. All I had to do now was wait for her to come out of class.

I leaned up against the hood of the car looking at the ring which was at home on my finger and knew with all my being that I had never in my 108 years been as happy as I was at that moment. Here I was, waiting for my fiancée who loved me just as much as I loved her, and everyone knew about it. We didn't have to hide how we feel anymore, we had our parents blessing and now all we were waiting for was graduation to be over and for the wedding to take place.

As I looked on through the crowds of dispersing students I let out a blissful sigh, happy in the knowledge that Bella would be back in my arms within moments.

I knew she was nearby the second I caught her scent wafting over to me on a gust of breeze as the gym doors blew open, and in that moment I was home. Bella was my home, my everything. When she had been gone I was hollow inside and it felt like I didn't belong anywhere. Once she was awake and our lives together began again however, I felt whole and knew my place was with her. Without her I could not exist, and vica versa.

I looked towards the now fully open gym doors trying to seek her out, and then she was there, my angel. When our eyes met she stopped in her tracks, a huge grin crossing her face. I knew without question that my face was pulling the exact same expression as hers and as I looked at her delicate features and listened across the lot as her breathing quickened because of my 'dazzling' I felt like I couldn't be apart from her any longer.

She began walking towards to me, as I did her and neither of us removed our gazes from one another. As we met in the middle surrounded by a sea of people Bella was the only person I could see. The whole world seemed to go into slow motion as I took her into my arms, we were the only people that existed in that moment and we were happy for it to stay that way.

I rested my chin on the top of her head, breathing in the fragrance from her hair that still to this day sent me into a spin, and then pulled her into a loving embrace which seemed to go on for eternity.

Bella pulled her head from under my chin and then looked at me through her lashes with those doe eyes of hers which still left me speechless every time I looked into them. As I placed my hand on her cheek and pulled her into a shower of delicate and heartfelt kisses she stopped, smiling broadly as she did so and mumbled,

"Always and forever."

I kissed her once more at hearing this, the elation running through my body sending shivers between the both of us, then placed my forehead on hers, my fingers entwined in her hair and responded,

"Always and forever, my beautiful Bella."

**Well that's it the end of You Are My Life Now. I was sad writing this chapter knowing that it was the last one for this story, it has been an amazing ride.**

**I just want to thank every single one of you who has reviewed, favourited and alerted on this story it's what kept me going to the end** **and helped me finish my 'baby'.**

**Just because it's finished doesn't mean you still can't review I would love to hear what you think of the story overall, and please don't forget I am starting the sequel in a couple of days so please come on along with the next ride and read that too, thanks.**


	24. THE SEQUEL HAS ARRIVED

**THE SEQUEL TO YOU ARE MY LIFE NOW IS HERE.**

**THE STORY IS CALLED THE WAY YOU MAKE ME FEEL AND HERE IS THE SUMMARY.**

**Edward and Bella are both trying to get over what happened with the Volturi 6 months ago. As they go on to plan their summer wedding bringing happiness and love back into their lives, could a visit from an old friend of Edwards and a tragedy in the Swan family jeopardise our favourite couples happiness for good.**

**PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE READ AND REVIEW I AM GOING TO UPDATE QUICKLY, JUST AS I DID WITH THE LAST STORY AND I HOPE YOU ENJOY WHAT IS COMING.**

**ALSO READ MY ONE-SHOT FANFIC IT'S NOT OVER. IT IS IN OPINION MY BEST WRITING BUT AS OF THIS MOMENT HAS HAD NO REVIEWS AND I WOULD LOVE TO GET SOME FROM YOU.**

**THANKS, LAUREN.**


	25. PLEASE VOTE 4 U R MY LIFE NOW

WOO HOO!

You Are My Life Now has just won the Twilighters United Lamb Award for the fan fiction with a Bella most like that in the book.

Thank you so much for voting for me if you did, I really appreciate it.

You Are My Life Now has also been nominated for the Twilighters United Lion Award. This award is for a fan fiction with an Edward closest to the Edward in the book. There is still time to vote so please go to

twilightfantwilight(dot)webs(dot)com/vote(dot)htm

Remember to replace the (dots) with actual dots lol and help me win this award to.

Again thanks a lot. I am glad you are enjoying the sequel The Way You Make Me Feel. It is dedicated to each and everyone one of you.

All my love, Lauren x


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